The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

PAGAN:



"Rustic"; religion of the country folk who retained the traditions of the Old Religion during the conversion of Europe to the New Religion; used in modern times without distinction to mean anyone who is not Christian, Jewish, or Moslem, or who has no religion. This name being reclaimed by Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Odinists, and other spiritual groups reviving the practices and beliefs of the Old Religion.





OLD RELIGION:



Shamanic and Nature-based religions of Pre-

Christian Europe.





TRADITIONS:



Word used by Wiccan or Witchcraft denominations dating from the 1940's onward, with many requiring a chain of demoninational intuition based onthe specific Tradition's intruction - not the same as Family Tradition or Hereditary Tradition, which are passed along within a family through multiple generations, and whose members may also be called Bloodline Witches.





WICCA:



[Wikkika]: Derived from "Wicce" [weech'chee-the medieval name for Witch] and used popularly to avoid the negative imagery; possibly related to the word for "Wise One" [Witta] or "To Know" [Witan], but it is a stretch to link it to "wicker" for bending or twisting since the root from willow is not the same as that of witch, and has instead been used in completely familiar terms.





WITCHCRAFT:



The "Craft of the Wise" Nature-based magical religion and practive; the Old Religion of Pagan Euraope derived from Anglo-Saxon councilors of the king, the Witta;or from Wicce, pronounced in Middle English as "Weetch'ee" meaning a clever/knowing wizard; or from wiccian, "weetch'ee-an" and wicchecrafre, "weech'ee-craft'te" meaning to use sorcey; but also possibly from Witan, pronounced "Weetahn" and meaning "to know".

COVEN TERMS

1. Coven-Group of Witches, usually 3-13

2. Covenhome-Name of Coven

3. Covenstead-Limited area for Covens

4. Hive-Large coven splits into smaller units

5. Witch Queen/King-Having 5 or more covens hive from the origonal one of a High Priestess/Priest (not common to all Covens since many are democratic rather than "belonging" to a founder or any one person)







COVEN

Assembly of Wiccan/Witchcraft practicionors, generally adhering to the standardized procedures of a particular Tradition or to those agreed upon by the membership, usually 12 in number, with one Priest or Priestess/High Priest or High Priestess to make a total of 13 members, although there may be 2 leaders, male and female.







COVENHOME

The name of a Witch's coven, such as, "Her covenhome is the Coven of the Sacred Wheel."







COVEN NAME

Name bestowed on an initiate to a coven for "inner court" use.





COVENSTEAD

Limited area [such as 5-mile radius] for covens of the same Tradition or denomination so that there are not overlapping territories. As more people become interested in the Craft, this may cease to be practical.







CRAFT NAME

A magic/spiritual name chosen by a Witch for working iin the Craft, and may be used openly, in Pagan community settings, and in "outter court" Circles. This name may also be used as a Coven Name, although many covens prefer to rename somwone entering their circle.







EKE NAME

A coven name or "inner court" name by which a practitionor of the Craft is known within a circle.







WITCH QUEEN/WITCH KING:

Like a queen bee, a High Priestess who has two to five covens [depending on the Traditions] :hive" from her own/or a High Priest with the same track record. Ths popularized in the 1960's by Alex and Maxine Sanders and thier Alexandrian Tradition, not named after Alex, and supposedly derived from the Gardnerian Tradition, made famous by thier student, Stewart Farrar [along with his wife Janet]in WHat Witches Do and The Witches Bible. Today, many covens are more likely to function as a group dynamic with the role of High Priestess and High Priest passed around to the personal possession of one or two people. Witchract does not require titles and ranks to work, and in rural areas, Witches are more likely to be called Mother [first or last name] or Grandmother {again first or last name}; Father [first or last name] or Grandfather {first or last name}, or other such variations as Granny, Little Mother ; Gaffer, Pld Man{first or last name}, and so forth.