Wicca for the solidarity practitioners

Wiccan glossary

Wiccan Glossary

In working on various explanations and discussions of Wicca and Paganism, I've realized that like most religions, Wicca has a vocabulary of its own. This glossary is my effort to help people understand that language. What I say here is an attempt to explain succinctly how the words are used; it is a broad generalization and is not applicable to many situations. It is not an attempt to exercise authority over other Pagans or Wiccans or their use of terms. It's very much a work in progress; I welcome feedback that helps me improve it or suggests additions!

For now, it's specifically Wiccan, because I'm Wiccan, so that's what I know best. I would love to have collaborators from other groups help me expand this.

Names

Wicca, Wiccan, Witchcraft, Witch – Different individuals use these differently. Listen or ask about local or personal usage to be sure. Literata regards herself as both a Wiccan (practitioner of Wicca) and a Witch, so they are sometimes used here interchangeably. Wiccan is usually regarded as more neutral, Wicca is usually the name of the religion, Witchcraft usually refers to the practice or to doing magic, and Witch is someone who does Witchcraft.

Broomcloset, in the – Wiccan term adapted from QUILTBAG rights movement. To be in the broomcloset is to not identify as Wiccan or Pagan. People may be partially in or out, and out to some groups (friends) but in the broomcloset to others (family). This is a very touchy issue in Wicca and Paganism today, so it is good manners to regard someone's status as a Pagan or Wiccan as a private piece of information until or unless you are told otherwise. It is not acceptable to "out" someone and may have major consequences ranging from ostracism to loss of job, loss of custody of children, and even death threats or outright violence. Paganism's questionable legal status means that many laws against religious dicrimination are not always sufficient protection.

Craft name – Many Wiccans adopt a religious name, both to symbolize one's self-created identity as a Pagan and to separate one's Pagan persona from legal names and mundane activities.

Solitary – Someone who primarily practices alone. Many Wiccans today are eclectic solitaries who may attend open rituals at Sabbats.

Coven – Group of Wiccans who have decided to work together. May be large or small, formal or informal, hierarchical or not, and so on. Often gathers once a month at about the full moon for esbats and eight times a year for Sabbats.

HP, HPS – Abbreviations for High Priest and High Priestess. Traditional titles for the male and female leaders of covens or officiants at rituals.

Gardnerian, Alexandrian, British Traditional Wicca – British Traditional Wicca (BTW) is the group of traditions founded by Gerald Gardner in Britain shortly after World War II. Gardnerian Wicca traces its roots to Gardner, and Alexandrian to Alex Sanders, who branched off from Gardner.

Tradition, trad – A set of practices and teachings, or the group of people who follow them. Sometimes named after founder, as in Gardnerian, sometimes after form or other principles.

Lineage, initiations, degrees – BTW and similar trads are structured around initiations which are given as first degree, second degree, and third degree. Usually, a person who has a third degree initiation is a HP/S. Lineage is the sequence of initiators that can be traced back to a founding figure such as Gardner or Sanders. Not all Wiccans are members of trads like this; many feminist forms reject degrees or hierarchy entirely. Others have founded their own initiatory lineages or expanded the system to include more numbers of degrees, or self-bestowed degrees.

The Craft – Alternate name for Wicca or Witchcraft, borrowed from Masons.

Cowan – Impolite term for outsider, borrowed from Masons.