Pagan Dictionary

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EARTH: One of the primary elements in most traditions. It is affiliated with physical manifestation and creation. In traditions that correlate the elements with matter it is one of the four states of matter: solid. In alchemy Earth is associated with the operation of Conjunction and is represented by Copper Ore.

EARTHING: Sending energy through a conductor into the earth. In magickal traditions the conductor is usually human and the energy sent is excess energy unused during a ritual. It may also be incompatible or excessive energy gathered by a person throughout the course of daily life. This is a recommended practice for people as a restorative and balancing act and allows the practitioner to reconnect fully with the physical world. Also known Grounding.

EARTH MAGICK: A magickal system that draws primarily on the Element of Earth and the reverence of Nature.

EARTH RELIGION: Any religion which reveres the Earth, and Nature, as the manifestation of the Divine, and calls for harmony with Nature and all life and for ecology. Many pagan traditions are Earth religions.

EBBOS: A counter spell in Santeria tradition.

ECLECTIC: A mix of various systems, doctrines, or sources.

ECLECTIC MAGICK: A form of Ceremonial Magick which is Magick that calls upon the aid of beneficent spirits and is based upon a blend of doctrines of Plato and other Greek philosophers, Oriental mysticism, Judaism and Christianity. Eclectic Magick draws from these sources in addition to a variety of different sources including Enochian Magick, Thelemic Magick, Egyptology, Alchemy and Chaos Magick.

ECLECTIC WICCA: Wicca that combine elements from several different traditions to form their own unique system of reverence and/or magick. Many solitary practitioners are considered to be Eclectic.

ECLIPSE (Greek, ekleipein: "to leave out, pass over): The partial or total darkening of the sun when the moon comes between it and earth (solar eclipse) or of the moon when the earth's shadow is cast upon it (lunar eclipse). Both have significance in many religions and magickal systems.

ECSTASY (Greek, ekstasis, "being out of its place, distraction, trance"): A state of consciousness marked by a trancelike peaceful state that is usually brought on as a result of extreme emotional exaltation and/or religious fervor.

ECTENIC FORCE (Greek, ektenes: "to stretch out, to extend"): A force or agent directed at will by a person which can move objects without physical contact (e.g.: levitation, telekenisis). The force was first postulated by Count Agenor de Gasparin but the term is attributed to his colleague M. Thury.

ECTOPLASM (Greek, ektos: " without'; plasma: "a thing formed"):

The vaporous, luminous substance that emanates from a Medium's body during a trance;
 In biology, the outer layer of the cytoplasm of a cell.
EDDA, The (Icelandic, edda: "greatgrandmother"): A collection of lays and stories based on the mythic wisdom of the ancient Norse that is comprised of three manuscripts: the Codex Reguius being the Elder (Poetic) Edda; and the Codex Wormianus and the Codex Upsaliensis comprising the Younger (Prose) Edda.

EDEN:

The garden in which Adam and Eve first lived according to the Bible;
An idyllic or delightful place;
Also known as the Garden of Eden, Paradise.
EFFIGY: A three-dimensional image of a person. The image can be made of any substance and is most commonly doll-size. Such an image is commonly attributed to harmful magick (burning an effigy in protest is still done by mobs today) but the image is most frequently used as a tool in healing using sympathetic magick. Also called a Fith-Fath, Voodoo Doll.

EGG: A sacred symbol in many religions that thematically represents creation and resurrection. In alchemy the egg is important as it represents the sealed hermetic vessel in which the Great Work was consummated (i.e.: Creation). Also known as the Cosmic Egg.

EIDOLON:

A thought-form;
An artificial energy-construct;
A body of force;
A ritual or spell that stores power for later use by participants.
ELDER: The title given to individuals who possess intelligence, knowledge and wisdom on the history, culture, language, beliefs and customs of their tradition. Elders usually earn this position of respect through a combination of their abilities which may include education, experience, magickal adeptness and counseling.

ELDER EDDA, The (Icelandic, edda: "greatgrandmother"): The Edda, a collection of lays and stories based on the mythic wisdom of the ancient Norse, is comprised of three manuscripts: the Codex Reguius being the Elder Edda; and the Codex Wormianus and the Codex Upsaliensis comprising the Younger (Prose) Edda. Also known as the Poetic Edda.

ELDER ONES: An advanced race of beings who died or migrated to other planes before the coming of mankind, or very early in the history of the Earth. They were considered to have great magickal powers and high spirituality.

ELEMENTAL: 

The primitive non-human and non-material entity of the nature of one of the Four Elements;
The Spirits formed by essence of one of the four primary Elements which are defined as Salamanders (fire), Sylphs (air), Undines (water), Gnomes (earth);
An artificial thought form that develops a separate existence from its Creator. They can be created consciously (or sometimes unconciously when strong emotions supersede thought and will) and they are usually temporary. Some traditions define the existence of Aspects and/or Deities as Familiars who have remained in existence due to mass belief in them. See also: Familiar Spirit;
The inhabitants of other realms of existence whose orders of being are similar to that of the Elementals, such as the inhabitants of the Faery Realm.
ELEMENTS, The: The basic forces/modes of existence and action underlying all of manifestation. The most common traditions recognize three, four or five elements while some recognize six, seven and nine elements. Elements are assigned a place within a magick circle, most commonly the first four elements taking the points of the compass although their alignment to a specific directions varies across traditions. Examples of Element groupings are: 

Earth, Sky (Air), Water (Druidic);
Air, Water, Fire (Cabalistic);
Earth, Air, Water, Fire (various);
Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Spirit (various);
ELFS: 

In traditional lore, the pre-Celtic inhabitants of Britain, viewed as magickal beings by the later invading peoples and attributed with magickal skills and abilities that generally describe either natural survival skills or psychic talents. Witches were often viewed as descendents of intermarriages or cross-breeding between humans and elves, and hence as having inherited the magickal abilities of their elven ancestry;
The legendary magickal beings who were considered to be the Children of the Gods, or the offspring of the matings of Gods with humans.
The descendants of the Witch gods, or Mighty Ones;
Also known as Elvenfolk, Elves.
ELIXIR (Arabic, il-ikser: "philosopher's stone"): Originally another term for the Philosopher's Stone in Alchemy, a substance capable of perfecting any substance or situation. It has come to mean any magickally charged liquid that is prepared and drunk, usually for healing purposes.

ELIXIR OF LIFE: The goal of alchemic work, a substance capable of perfecting any substance or situation. Also known as Philosopher's Stone, the Stone.

ELLIDE: The dragon-shaped ship of Frithjof, the hero of Icelandic legend. It was said to be golden-headed, with open jaws, its under part scaled with blue and gold, its tail twisted and made of silver, and its sails black with red borders. The ship had been given to one of Frithjof's forefathers as a reward for kindness by Aegir, the Sea God.

ELVENFOLK, ELVES: 

In traditional lore, the pre-Celtic inhabitants of Britain, viewed as magickal beings by the later invading peoples and attributed with magickal skills and abilities that generally describe either natural survival skills or psychic talents. Witches were often viewed as descendents of intermarriages or cross-breeding between humans and elves, and hence as having inherited the magickal abilities of their elven ancestry;
The legendary magickal beings who were considered to be the Children of the Gods, or the offspring of the matings of Gods with humans.
The descendants of the Witch gods, or Mighty Ones;
Also known as Elfs.
EMANATION: Something that comes forth from a source. Often used in magick to describe the energy that objects emit in their natural state (e.g.: rose quartz crystal emanates a calming, cooling energy).

EMERALD TABLET, The: The mystical inscribed tablet of Hermes or Thoth that summarizes the whole of magick in one page. The tablet has two sources of discovery, one version saying it was found on the dead body of Hermes by Abraham's wife, Sarai and other version saying it was found at Hebron by an Essenian initiate. The Emerald Tablet lays the cornerstone for much of western magickal philosophy, and is the origin of the fundamental law of ceremonial magick: "That which is above is as that which is below; and that which is below, is as that which is above, for performing the marvels of the Kosmos. As all things are from the One, by the mediation of the One so all things arose out of this One Thing by evolving . . ." Also known as The Smaragdine Tablet.

EMPATH: A person who can feel the emotions of other entities.

EMPOWER: To delegate the authority to do a task. Connotatively empowerment has come to mean a person's faith in, and acceptance of their personal power, energy, force, and strength in all fields... spiritual, physical, mental, magickal.

ENCHANTMENT: Often used interchangeably with spell, an enchantment is specifically a charmed object that must be kept absolutely secret and hidden to be effective. Gems and magickal writing are good items for Enchantments.

ENEIDFADDEU (Welsh, enaid: " soul"; maddeu: "to forgive") The Druidic doctrine that suffering was both the result of wrong thinking and doing and the soul was forgiven through suffering. Akin to the concept of Karma.

ENOCHIAN MAGICK: A system of magick that teaches communication with angels and spirits and travel through various planes, or aethyrs of consciousness. Enochian magick apparently originated with John Dee and Edward Kelly in the 16th century and communication with spirits involved the Nineteen Calls (or Keys): incantations in the Enchonian language, a complex language of unknown origin. Enochian magick was revived by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and studied at length by Aleister Crowley.

ENOPTROMANCY: Divination by interpreting images in a reflective or transparent object such as a mirror, crystal globe or pool of water. Also known as Catoptromancy, Crystallomancy, Crystalomancy, Dubjed, Scrying. 

EON (Greek, aion: "age, lifetime, eternity):

The personification of an Age associated with a Deity (e.g. The Aeon of Christianity);
A long, indefinite period of time;
Also known as Aeon.
EPHEMERIS: In Astrology, a collection of precise calculations of the location of certain planets during specific times. 

EQUILIBRIUM: The state of balance or equality between two opposing forces.

EQUINOX ("equal night"): One of the two dates in the year when the length of the day equals the length of the night: the Vernal or Spring Equinox, which begins the "Bright Side of the Year", and the Autumnal or Fall Equinox which begins the "Dark Side of the Year".

ESBAT:

The day of reverence usually held at the Full Moon, and in some traditions the New Moon (or "Dark Moon"); 
In Wicca and Witchcraft, any Coven or Circle meeting held for ritual work other than one of the Eight Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year.
ESSENTIAL OIL: Any volatile (something that becomes vaporous) oil that gives a distinctive odor or flavor. Essential oils are extracted from the tissues of plants primarily, although perfumers have also used animal tissue for musk and ambergris and some of these essential oils are still highly valued for commercial use. Essential oils are often used in magickal work as they contain the full power of the plant from which they are derived, unlike dried herbs which lose potency.

ESOTERIC (Greek, esoterikos: "inner"): Beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding; hidden or inner knowledge reserved for initiates.

ETHERIC PLANE: In Theosophy, the level of energy and existence between the Astral Plane and the material Physical and the intermediary between the Physical and higher Planes; it is usually regarded as a sub-plane of the Physical, together with the purely material sub-plane, rather than as a distinct Plane of its own.

ENTOMANCY: Divination interpreting the appearance and behavior of insects. A form of Augury.

EVIL EYE: The ability to bring about harm by looking at someone.

EVOCATION: The "calling up" or summoning of a non-material force or entity of a lower order of being than oneself.

EXORCISM: The expulsion or banishing of unwanted forces or entities from a person, place, or thing. See also: Demon Possession, Obsession, Possession, Spirit Exorcism, Spirit Possession.

EXTISPICIUM: 

Divination interpreting animal entrails. Exitispicium is sometimes considered to be a form of augury (interpreting appearance and behavior of animals). Similar to Anthropomancy (interpretation of human entrails) and Heiromancy (interpretation of sacrificed animals). Also known as Aruspicy, Extispicy, Haruspicy.
A tool used in the practice of exitispicium, exitispicy, aruspicy, haruspicy.
EXTISPICY: Divination interpreting animal entrails. Extispicy is sometimes considered to be a form of augury (interpreting appearance and behavior of animals). Similar to Anthropomancy (interpretation of human entrails) and Heiromancy (interpretation of sacrificed animals) Also known as Aruspicy, Extispicy, Extispicium.

EYE OF NU: The sun or any star in Egyptian mythology.




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