FortunesNow Occult Glossary
Abacomancy – Predicting the future by using patterns of dust.
Achromancy - High magical arts. This craft strives to capture the purity and simplicity of magic.
Acupuncture - Eastern culture medicine where needles are inserted at certain points on the body to produce a different effect. According to acupuncturists, the success is related to invisible "chakra" lines that run the length of the body.
Adept - An expert in all forms of witchcraft.
Aeromancy – Predicting the future by specific and deliberate observation of the atmosphere including clouds, storms, comets, winds, etc.
Alchemy- The precursor of chemistry; a science where the goal was to change cheaper and more available metals (such as lead) into gold.
Altar- Any object upon which a wiccan practitioner places their tools for rituals. Altars can be tree stumps, tables, boxes, etc.
Altar Candle - Candles used during ritual magic or worship, usually white.
Amulet - A magical object that deflects negative energy.
Ankh - Ancient Egyptian symbol (a key-shaped cross) that is a heavily potent religious symbol.
Angel - A spirit who is a powerful force of good.
Anthropomancy - Predicitng the future by studying entrails.
Apparition - An appearance of someone (or even rarely, something) where that person or thing appears to be transparent.
Apportation - The sudden appearance of an object or objects out of thin air.
Arcana - Latin word for secrets, mysteries. Associated with the Tarot.
Astragalomancy – Predicting the future with dice or bones. A letter, word or symbol is written on each of a dozen knuckle bones. The bones (precursors to dice) are thrown on the ground and the future determined by their relative position and the symbols which lay face up. The modern equivalency is "cleromancy" which uses dice rather than bones.
Athame - Black-handled, twin bladed knife used in ritual. It represents fire.
Astrology – Predicting the future (usually an individual’s) using celestial bodies.
Aura - A person’s "life force" or "essence" seen in certain light as a halo around the person. Different colors denote different emotion or character. The aura reflects the "soul" or true-being vs. the body it occupies.
Automatic Painting - Similar to automatic writing, except when the subject goes into a trance, they draw or paint something.
Automatic Writing - When someone goes into a trance and starts writing down very briskly about things they usually know nothing about or in a language they are not familiar with. Usually associated as being done through supernatural assistance.
Banish - To drive away by using magic or by invoking the power of the god or goddess.
Banshee - A ghost that wails with sad melancholy. The Irish legend denotes a banshee’s wailing is an announcement of a death.
Biliomancy - Divination by the Bible.
Bilocation - The state of being where a person exists in two different places at the same time.
Biorhythm - Three repeating "cycles" which every person goes through from the time of birth. There are 23 days in the physical cycle, 28 days in the emotional cycle, and 33 days in the intellectual cycle. The complete cycle is ever-repeating. Low points are considered critical days during which the person is not recommended to try anything that might jeopardize him or her
Book of Shadows - A text of magic and rituals. There is no one Book of Shadows; most practitioners make their own in a never-ending search for wisdom and truth.
Candle Magic - Using candles chosen and prepared in a special way for the purpose of spell work
Cartomancy – Predicting the future through the use of a deck of standard playing cards or the Tarot.
Celtic Cross – A Latin cross with a circle around the intersection. A method of laying out the Tarot for a reading.
Censer - Incense burner. It represents air.
Chakra - Each of the seven centers of spiritual power in the human body.
Chalice - Goblet or cup used for ritual. It represents water.
Chandra - An ancient study referring to seven major centers of the body where vital energy flows and intersects. Through these, we receive physical, emotional and spiritual energy. Each particular area is associated with a color of the spectrum. Various stones, such as crystal, are used at chakra centers for cleaning, revitalizing and healing. Crystal wands are used to open the Challias.
Channeling - To open our consciousness and expand our perception and understanding to encompass a larger reality.
Charge - To infuse with power or a specific purpose; for example, a stone can be "charged" with magical power to protect the person who carries it from harm.
Chaomancy - Divination by appearances in the air. Also called Aeromancy.
Ch’i – The immaterial substance which composes all things, esp. the vital life force residing within the breath and the body.
Circle - The magical circle is a sphere within which magic and worship are performed, drawn with the power of the practitioner using visualization and magic. The circle is sphere-shaped and the "circle" which is drawn on the ground is the point where it touches the earth. The actual circle penetrates into the earth and sky to form a protective globe around the practitioner.
Clairvoyance - The psychic ability to perceive material objects or events from far away without the use of telepathy. The ability to "see clearly" without using tools, but by employing psychic skills. Also called psychic power or The Sight.
Clear - To drive out evil and negativity. Witches and/or magical practitioners will clear places and things of all evil or negative influences before doing magic.
Consecrate - To confer sacredness; to make something holy or clean by means of ritual.
Correspondences - Traits or things which symbolically relate to specific objects or phenomena such as the days of the week, stones, colors, seasons, plants, etc. which relate to a gods or goddesses or desires such as love.
Coven - A group of Wiccans, usually with one or two high priestesses and commonly, but not necessarily, made up of thirteen members.
Crystallomancy - Divination by crystal gazing.
Crystal Ball - A glass ball used by fortunetellers gaze into in order to obtain a picture of future events.
Cult - A system of religious worship esp. as expressed in ritual.
Curse - A "spell" put on some one, or some thing that needs to be guarded.
Demon - Supernatural being, stated to be a servant of the devil.
Deosil - Clockwise.
Divination - The art of seeing or finding out things by using tools such as Tarot cards, scrying bowls or mirrors, crystal balls, I Ching, dowsing rods, pendulums, etc. Predicting the future, usually through the use of signs or an external instrument.
Divining Rod - Usually in the form of a forked stick, used for dowsing.
Dowsing - The ability to be able to find something underground by following a "divining rod", usually in the form of a short stick, in the shape of a "Y". The dowser holds the forked end and uses the single end as a pointer.
Dragon - Eastern legendary creature, resembling a large flying reptile which could breathe fire.
Dream - A series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep. During REM sleep, the state our subconscious mind takes over and can help solve problems or make us realize something we didn’t in a waking state.
Dreamwalker - One of the rarest of psychic powers, a dreamwalker leaves their own dream and enters those of another.
Druid - One of an ancient Celtic religion, adept in earth magic.
Elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water, which are the building blocks of the Universe.
Empathy - The psychic ability to feel others’ emotions, and to glean feelings from objects of those who have been in contact with them.
Evocation - Calling up a spirit or other supernatural being. A plea to a higher power such as a god, goddess or other cosmic force causing that energy to manifest outside the magician.
Exorcism - Removing a possessing being (such as a demon) from a victim. Also, removing a ghost from a haunting.
Fairy - A supernatural creature described as a tiny human with wings.
Familiar - A creature or spirit who works with a sorcerer as an assistant, watcher, and guardian, and has a psychic bond with their master.
Fate - The cause beyond man’s control that is held to determine events; destiny.
Feng Shui – Literally means "winds and waters" and describes the Chinese art of placement. Feng Shui is based on the idea that everything is made up of energy; therefore placement of objects are directed in such a way as to allow the energy to flow freely to enhance important aspects of our lives and bring them into balance. This can also be enhanced by the placement of energy conductors such as crystals, chimes and fountains in areas related to important aspects of our lives.
Fortune - What happens to a person; good or bad luck; fate; destiny.
Genethliacs - Divination by the stars at birth.
Geomancy – Predicting the future using lines in the earth. Divination by the swelling noises and movement of the earth. Also studying cracks made in dried mud by the sun.
Ghost - A spirit of the dead who still walks the earth. A disembodied soul. Ghosts are usually associated with haunting as there is some work on earth which went unfinished.
Glamour - A spell to change ones appearance to others.
Grimoire - A powerful spellbook, so powerful the physical book itself (including the pages and script) is magical. A Book of Shadows used as a workbook for magical practitioners.
Gypsy - A nomadic band of people having psychic powers (especially the gift of fortune-telling) which are passed from generation to generation.
Handfasting - A wedding or betrothal ceremony.
Horoscope - A diagram of the related positions of plants and signs of the zodiac at a particular time for use by astrologers to foretell the events of a person’s life.
Hypnosis - The practice of putting a subject into a relaxed, trancelike, yet suggestive state.
I Ching - Ancient Oriental philosophy used for predicting someone’s future.
Incantation - The verbal component of a magic spell.
Incubus - Male demon who steals a victim’s soul by appearing as a seductive human male and then seducing them.
Infusion - An herbal potion; an herbal tea.
Invocation - A plea to a higher power such as a god, goddess or other cosmic force causing that energy to manifest inside the magician.
Intuition - The power or faculty of knowing things without conscious reasoning.
Iridology - Fringe medicine that states there is a "map" of the entire body in the iris of the eye which can provide a guide to various orders and their treatment.
Ka - The center of one’s being.
Karma – The forces generated by a person’s actions to determine his destiny in his next existence.
Kirlian Photography - Rather than normal photography, this takes pictures of someone’s aura.
Ley - Force "lines" that travel great distances. Many old ruins were built on these, wielding great psychic power when tapped into.
Lithomancy - Predicitng the future through stones.
Lycanthrope - A creature whose shape changes between a beast and a man.
Lycanthropy - Mythical disease of shapechanging.
Macerate - To soak something in alcohol or oil.
Magician (magickal practitioner) - One who practices magic (or magick), either for religious or secular purposes.
Magic (magick) - Using the forces of natural existence to cause desires to manifest. Magick is not a misspelling but a contemporary term for using paranormal ways of attaining goals
Major Arcana – Twenty-two special cards of the Tarot which are of deep spiritual significance and contain elements of philosophy, embodying answers to the mysteries of creation, the origin of life and the nature of man.
Medium - A person with the psychic ability of communicating with the dead.
Megaliths - Large ancient stones such as found in Stonehenge, most are found on ley lines and emit powerful magnetic fields.
Minor Arcana - Cards of the Tarot divided in four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles.
Naturopathy – An alternative medicine which relies on the body’s ability to heal itself, along with a healthy diet and exercise program.
Nazca Lines - Ancient drawings etched into the desert of Nazca in Peru which can only be viewed by air.
Necromancy - The practice of raising and controlling the dead.
New Age – A broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to Western culture, with interests in spiritual matters, mysticism, holistic ideas, environmentalism, etc.
Numerology – Predicting the future using numbers and the significance of numbers.
Occult – Relating to supernatural agencies, their effects and knowledge of them; not revealed; secret; mysterious.
Omen - An event or phenomenon believed to be a sign or warning of a future occurrence.
Oneiromancy - Predicting the future through dreams.
Oracle - An authoritive or wise utterance. A psychic who would receive visitors at a temple in ancient times, and prophesize or give clairvoyant information..
Orinthomancy - Predicting the future by studying the flight patterns of birds.
Ouija Board - A surface covered by the letters of the alphabet, the words "yes" and "no", and sometimes other symbols. Used as a gate for communicating with the dead.
Palmistry – Predicting the future by reading the lines in the palms of hands.
Pentacle - A circle within which a 5-pointed star has been drawn or etched. The pentacle used in ritual is usually a flat piece of wood, clay, metal, ceramic, etc. with a pentagram etched or painted on the surface. It represents the mundane forces of nature and is a protective device.
Pentagram - A 5-pointed star enclosed in a circle, used in rituals. The pentagram is the design itself, while the pentacle is an object upon which the design is etched . Amulets, crystals and other objects are placed on each of the five points to draw power into the ritual.
Philosopher’s Stone - The legendary substance of alchemists having properties that could transform lead into gold.
Planchette - The pointer on a ouija board.
Plane – A completely separate area of existence.
Poppet – A small image of a human being or animal that is magically imbued with life, commonly made from wax, clay, or cloth stuffed with cotton or herbs. Commonly used by witches in healing rituals; also called a fith-fath, or, depending on the magical practitioner, a voodoo doll.
Premonition – A psychic vision of the future.
Psi – A short term for psychic power.
Psychic – A person sensitive to metaphysical or supernatural forces; one with psychic ability. Often mistaken for "mediums" or others who can predict the future.
Psychokinesis – The psychic ability to be able to alter objects at the molecular level; the psychic ability to be able to influence physical objects.
Psychomancy - Divination by ghosts.
Pyrokinesis – The psychic ability to set objects aflame. There is a more rare reverse ability, the ability to freeze objects, but it has no name.
Pyromancy – Predicting the future by studying the flame patterns and colors in fire.
Quadrants – The north, south, east and west points on the circle.
Radionics – An alternative medicine where the patient is diagnosed by only a drop of blood or a lock of hair. The healer then takes a photograph inside a completely sealed "black box" and diagnoses the problem from the patient’s "life force" permeated from the object.
Reincarnation – The theory that we have had past lives and will be born again in a new body when we die.
Remote Viewing – The psychic ability to describe a remote location in detail. This is accomplished by having a "sender" at the remote location, with the subject telepathically picking up the details.
Resurrection – The restoration of someone from the dead.
Retrocognition – An awareness of something happening in the past as if it were happening now.
Ritual – A ceremony where the practitioner performs a certain set of actions to produce the desired effect, whether for magick or worship.
Runes – Small wooden blocks carved from ash saplings used to predict the future. Probably is the earliest form of fortune-telling.
Sabbat – Seasonally based Wiccan festivals.
Sachet – A cloth bag filled with herbs.
Santeria – An Afro-Cuban religion that combines elements of Catholicism with the worship of Yoruba deities.
Sciomancy - Divination by shadows or manes.
Seance – A ritual where a group sits around a table in a darkened room and a medium communicates with the dead.
Second Sight –The ability to perceive future or distant events; clairvoyance.
Secular – Non-religious in nature.
Shaman – A tribal healer, advisor, and medium. Shamans sometimes used hallucinogenic drugs to achieve their visions.
Simple – A potion or infusion made from two or more herbs.
Sixth Sense – A faculty giving intuitive or extrasensory knowledge.
Sorcery – Use of magic; witchcraft.
Sortilege – The act or action of divining or deciding something by casting lots.
Soul – The true being that inhabits the body. The essence of an individual life. The spiritual principle embodied in humans.
Spell – A ritual performed to perform magic (magick).
Spellbook – A book of spells.
Spiritualism – A belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living through a medium.
Spirit Guide – A supernatural "guide" that is a medium’s link to the "other side".
Spirit Photography – When people show up in a photograph when they were not in the original shot. Usually identified by someone physically in the picture as a dead relative.
Standing Stones – Megalithic stones that are part of ancient structures (such as Stonehenge),
Stigmata – When someone bleeds inexplicably, without harm, from the hands and feet. Seen as a holy sign by Christians.
Succubus – Female demon who steals a victim’s soul by appearing as a seductive human female and then seducing them.
Sufism – Various spiritual orders within Islam characterized by asceticism and mysticism.
Supernatural – Relating to or attributed to a divinity, ghost, or infernal spirit.
Talisman – A magical object made and designed to attract energy.
Tarot – Predicting the future by the use of a special deck of cards. Also the name of the type of cards used for predicting the future.
Telekinesis – The psychic ability of moving objects without touching them.
Telepathy – The psychic ability of communication through thought.
Teleportation – The psychic ability of making an object disappear and reappear in another place with almost no passage of time. The actual occurrence of the disappearance/reappearance of an object.
Theomancy - Divination by oracles.
Third Eye – The pineal gland. Used by Hindus and Buddhists to see auras.
Timeslip – Short periods of time that do not pass for someone, yet pass for everyone else, or vice versa. Also, a temporary traveling to someplace, forward or backward in time.
Tincture – An infusion made with alcohol, cider, vinegar or similar substance.
Tulpa – A form made by a thought, visible to others.
Tumo– A practice that allows its adepts to sit naked in the Himalayan snows.
Voodoo – An ancient form of witchcraft, centered around Haiti. There are good and evil forms of voodooism, the most noted being the creation of the undead.
Voodoo Doll – A doll-sized effigy of a person used to control or cause harm to that person.
Wand – A "magic wand" used in ritual, usually wood, sometimes decorated with symbolic items such as crystals and runes. It represents Air.
Warlock – A male witch.
White Magic – Sorcery done for the good of others. Usually used for healing
Wicca – An ancient religion most often referred to as witchcraft, features covens of members, commonly thirteen, including one or two high priestesses. Wicca recognizes all gods and goddesses worshipped by all religions as valid but worships only two of its own, primarily the Goddess and the Stag or Horned One.
Wiccan – A practioner of Wicca.
Widdershins – Counterclockwise.
Will O’the Wisp – Unearthly lights that appear at night. The lights are very pale, silent and flame-like.
Witch – Those who can cause magical and mystical things to occur through the use of "spells". Also referred to as practitioners of the Wicca religion.
Witchcraft – The primitive form of "magic" used by witches.
Witch Doctor – A person who professes to cure disease and counteract witchcraft by magic, esp. a tribal magician.
Wort – An herb (an old word still in use, not at all the same as "wart").
Yin and Yang – Chinese belief of balance in the universe; the harmonious interaction of the female and male forces of the universe.
Yogi – One who, through extreme relaxation and meditation, can perform superphysical and supernatural feats.
Zodiac – the twelve astrological signs used to predict a person’s future.
Zombie – A person raised from the dead by a voodoo priest, having no will of their own and existing to serve their master (the priest).
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