definitions

The ensoulment of all things (which aren't things). This most long-standing global view recognizes natural elements and all objects (again, which are not objects), as inspirited or embodying the Tao, the life force in all or Universal Intelligence, challenging their mere objectification.

Define banish: In witchcraft and occult practice, to banish means to drive away, dismiss, or neutralize unwanted energies, entities, or influences. A banishing spell is used to create boundaries, clear negativity, and remove harmful forces from a person, object, or space.

How to banish evil spirits: Common methods include protective circles, invoking deities or spirits of protection, using banishing herbs, inscribing sigils, or reciting incantations. Banishing doesn’t destroy; it merely sends the intended person or energy away, restoring balance and safety in the practitioner’s environment.

The meaning of cartomancy refers to the art of divination using cards, often a standard deck of playing cards or tarot. Practiced for centuries, cartomancy interprets symbols, numbers, and suits to reveal guidance about the past, present, or future.

For those looking to learn witchcraft, cartomancy is one of the most accessible entry points, since a simple deck of playing cards can be used. The cartomancy meanings of playing cards vary: hearts often represent love and emotions, spades challenges or intellect, clubs growth and creativity, and diamonds money or material concerns, but beyond the 4 suits, each number holds its specific meaning.

An ancient spiritual practice existing across diverse cultures, including my own Han Taiwanese, involves practitioners entering varied consciousness states through dance, drumming, or plant consumption (in my case, I work with the Tea plant, Camelia sinensis) to communicate with spirits for transformative healing. The definition of shaman or shamanic practitioner is one who engages in such spirit communication, spirit flight or spirit travel, and mediumship or fortune telling.

A practice offering deep insight into situations, exploring past, present, and potential futures. Often visual (e.g., Tarot, nature omens, dreams) or sensed (clairolfactance, clairaudience), it's distinct from mere fortune-telling, emphasizing choices influencing outcomes.

What is an effigy? An effigy is a statue, figure or other constructed representation, most often in human or animal likeness that is used in ritual, spellwork, or spirit mediumship. They are intermediaries or act as vessels or proxies in spiritual connection or in magic.

In witchcraft, a familiar is a spiritual companion or entity that forms a close bond with a practitioner, traditionally depicted as an animal spirit aiding in magick, protection, and guidance. In modern practice, it's viewed as an energetic ally or spiritual guide assisting in magickal work and intuition, taking various forms beyond just animals.

Grimoire meaning: A grimoire is a book of magic containing spells, rituals, sigils, correspondences, and instructions for occult practice. Often handwritten and deeply personal, a grimoire serves as both a practical manual and a spiritual diary for a magic practitioner.

In simple terms, grimoire means a magical textbook, part recipe book, part sacred record, used by witches, magicians, and occultists to preserve and transmit knowledge.

Hermeticism definition: Hermeticism (also called Hermetism) is a spiritual and philosophical tradition based on the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a mythical figure combining the wisdom of the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes.

For centuries, Hermeticism has shaped Western esotericism, influencing alchemy, astrology, Kabbalah, Renaissance magic, and modern occult practice.

The Seven Principles of Hermeticism
These principles, outlined in The Kybalion (1908)

• Mentalism – All is Mind; the universe itself is a mental creation.

• Correspondence – “As above, so below; as within, so without.” Patterns repeat across all levels of reality.

• Vibration – Nothing is at rest; everything is in constant motion.

• Polarity – Everything has its opposite; opposites are two extremes of the same essence.

• Rhythm – All things rise and fall in natural cycles of flow.

• Cause and Effect – Every action produces a reaction; nothing happens by chance.

• Gender – Masculine and feminine principles exist in all things; creation depends on their interplay.

An oracle that offers unbiased guidance, often outlining both desirable and undesirable influences and potential outcomes. In my experience working with the I Ching, and teaching clients, this living sage provides practical advice for optimally navigating complex situations. I attribute this as the Tao, or Universal Consciousness expressing itself through the wisdom of the Yarrow plant. Yarrow walks the path of both the light and dark, and can be remarkably protective.

Relating to Taoist philosophy, neidan, known as internal alchemy in Taoism, is a practice that intersects ritualistic practices and physical, mental, and spiritual exercises. Its goal is to extend life and create an immortal spiritual body. By cultivating Essence, Breath, and Spirit within the human body, practitioners seek harmony and unity with the Tao, or Cosmic Life Force.

Invisibility spells are designed to help someone go unnoticed, whether in a physical or energetic sense. Rooted in various witchcraft traditions, these workings alter perception, redirect focus, or create a protective energetic shield. Rather than causing literal disappearance, they enhance one’s ability to remain unseen, blend into the environment, or evade unwanted attention. More on invisibility spells on my occult blog.

The intention or action undertaken to manifest personal transformation or noticeable change, distinguished from illusionism and Hollywood portrayals. My approach, weaving in Chaos Magick and Daoist philosophy, directly engages Yin Yang energy currents for practical outcomes, and involves rituals linked to food and drink, commonly known as Kitchen Magick.

Materia magica are spiritual supplies used in witchcraft and other magical workings. They can include herbs, rocks and minerals, candles, and even body fluids.

Moon phases are pivotal in witchcraft, representing diverse energies for rituals and spellwork. New Moons signal new beginnings and intentions, while Full Moons amplify energies for divination and celebration. Waning moons are for banishing and releasing. Each phase guides specific practices, offering unique opportunities to engage in ritual, within or external of witchcraft traditions. I share a Yin-based New Moon ritual with goop.

The practice of connecting with the deceased, particularly ancestral spirits, passed loved ones, and deceased pets. Access to the dead can be through prayers, mediumship and channeling, core shamanic journeys, kitchen magick, witchcraft, dream interpretation, or other ritual work. In my practice and teachings, I also discuss about necromancy ethics, including the rights of the dead.

The earnest study of supernatural influences, focusing on magickal energies, often incorporated into rituals.

Revering plant consciousness, I use specific botanicals for clearing, protection, and emotional resolution. Rooted in the folk magic practitioner's relationship with plant energy, this ancient practice, akin to Chinese Herbalism in Traditional Chinese Medicine, retains significance in folk medicine today. I discuss extensively on my blog how fragrance is used in witchcraft.

A psychic attack happens when harmful energy—whether intentional or not—is directed toward someone, disrupting their energetic, emotional, mental, or even physical well-being. This interference can stem from another person, a spirit or entity, or even environmental factors. Learn the Signs You’re Experiencing A Psychic Attack.

In the context of shamanic journeying, spirit flight, and psi work, including remote viewing, realms typically refer to different energetic, spiritual, or metaphysical planes of existence and/or consciousness beyond what is understood from the 3D worldview. These realms are often believed to house various spirit beings, ancestral presences, archetypal energies, or even deities or angelic beings.

Practitioners and seekers enter these realms through altered states of consciousness, such as meditation, shamanic trance, or dream work, to access wisdom, guidance, community or healing.

In core shamanic traditions, realms can be categorized into three main regions (I discuss this in-depth in my Mystery Mentorship occult series):

• The Upper Realms: Often associated with higher consciousness, divine wisdom, angels, or ascended masters.

• The Middle Realm: Tied to the spirit of the natural world, where one may connect with elemental beings, nature spirits, or the essence of living creatures.

• The Lower Realms: Commonly linked to ancestral connections, shadow work, or the underworld, where deep personal or collective insights can be found.

Scrying is a form of divination that involves gazing into a reflective or translucent surface, such as a crystal ball, mirror, smooth stone, water, fire or smoke, to gain insight, receive messages from ancestral spirits or other guides, or foresee future events. This occultic practice has been used throughout history in various cultures and is often associated with mystical and witchcraft traditions.

A séance is a ritual or gathering where participants attempt to communicate with spirits, often those of the dead, through the guidance of a medium. The seance meaning comes from the French word for “session” or “sitting,” and in occult practice it involves focused intention, tools like candles, pendulums, scrying, or spirit boards, and creating a liminal space for messages from the unseen.

A quality present in witchcraft, shamanism, and occult practices, characterized by fluidly changing form or identity, primarily energetically, occasionally noticeable in behavior and physical attributes. This method fosters positive change, self sovereignty, heighten creativity, and renewal of one’s voice.

Within spirit activity, some spirits, particularly djinns can shapeshift.

What are sigils? Sigils are a form of magick that holds the energy that is accessed through a specific intent and ritual. Sigils are often created by combining letters, symbols, shapes into an abstract design that is charged with energy of the desire. Sigils are doubly more effective when ritual inks are utilized in their creation. Common purposes include protection, peace in a home, recovery and healing, success on a project, and can be an effective way to increase the longevity of the effects of a spell.

'Shen' refers to spirit, encompassing not only the essence or soul but also a multi-dimensional, energetic expression that is unbound by physicality. From an animist's perspective, everything is ensouled or spirited: animals, plants, deities, mythical creatures, the elements, human ancestors, and the human living, among others.

Read more about the difference between spirits and ghosts.

Often intertwined with classicism and racism, involves using spiritual beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable realities, perpetuating ableism, and masking privilege under the guise of New Age tenets (such as ‘love and light’ and ‘law of attraction’ philosophies) and enlightenment. Spiritual bypassing enables the evasion of societal issues and injustices, emphasizing spiritual superiority or exceptionalism while dismissing systemic challenges, perpetuating disparities among those afforded the privilege to sidestep confronting harsher truths and accountability. I share some non-extractive affirmations that do not spiritually bypass HERE.

The Tao or Dao represents the essence that underlies existence, encompassing the interconnectedness and balance within the Universe. It's the intelligent, cosmic force governing natural rhythms, fostering harmony, and guiding all phenomena—a practical philosophy encapsulating the flow, interplay, and inherent order of all things.

What is telepathy? Since the widely successful podcast, The Telepathy Tapes, the term telepathy seems to be circulating exponentially.

Telepathy is the transmission of thoughts, emotions, images, or other forms of information between minds without the use of conventional senses. In occultism, telepathy is often understood as an innate psychic ability that allows for shared consciousness that can be honed through practice, allowing practitioners to communicate beyond the physical realm, access the collective unconscious, or receive messages from spirits and other entities. In animism, telepathy aligns with the belief that all beings—human, animal, plant, and beyond—are interconnected, making non-verbal and energetic communication a natural part of existence.

Water magic or water magick is sometimes also called hydromancy or aquamancy, and is a form of magick where water is the active ingredient in the spell and often is regarded a spirit guide itself. Water magic is a form of elemental magick (fire magick, earth magick, and so forth), and in my own animist practice, I enjoy relating to water through the perspective of occult science, where water can be related with magical healing plants to create potions, such as my Aura Care.

Unlike shamanism's journey beyond, witchcraft emphasizes inviting spirit beings to the physical world. Techniques encompass spells, inner visioning, aligning with lunar/astral cycles, magickal symbolism, elements, and working with spirit companions, including familiars.