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Welcome to the Witchipedia's glossary of occult terms. Here you will find terms often used in the Pagan, Heathen, magical and occult communities that may confuse a newcomer. This encyclopedia of magical terminology is a wonderful place to get started if you don't know where to start in the Witchipedia. If you don't see the term you are looking for here, feel free to bring your question to the community in our forums or Ask A Witch!

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We have 331 terms listed in our glossary with more being added each day.

What you see on this page is the titles and first paragraph of the articles in our occult glossary whose titles begin with the letter D. To view the full article, please click on the title. You will also be able to comment, ask questions and add more information to the article once you've navigated to its page.

Dark Moon

The dark of the moon refers to the end of the lunar cycle when the moon is absent from the sky. That is, the period of time between the fading of the old, waning crescent moon and the appearance of the young, waxing crescent moon. This can last for 1.5 to 3.5 days. Some traditions simply hold the dark moon period to be the three days prior to the appearance of the new moon. Astronomically, however, the new moon occurs right in the middle of this period when the Sun and the Moon are in...

Decoction

Decoction is a method of extraction of herbal constituents from stems, roots, barks and rhizomes through boiling. The hard plant parts are covered with water, brought to a boil for about 10 minutes and then cooled and strained. Similar to, but not to be confused with infusion or tisane.

Dei Lucrii

The Dei Lucrii is the collective title of the local or personal Gods of commerce worshiped who were invoked by ancient Romans to ensure success in business and a good profit. They were effectively replaced by the God Mercury. It seems as if the Dei Lucrii were mentioned disapprovingly by the Christian writer Arnobius in 330 C.E. Indeed, who is there who would believe that there are gods of profit, and that they preside over the pursuit of profits, which come most of the time from base sources...

Deosil

Deosil or deiseal means Sunwise or Clockwise. The term is from Scottish folklore. Moving sunwise is considered lucky and safe, while walking widdershins is unlucky. Thus, if you need to walk around a building to get to the door, you should always walk sunwise, keeping the building to your right. A circle, drawn sunwise or deosil around a house, stable or other building using a burning brand or torch is said to protect it from fire and malicious magick. Likewise similar rituals might be performed...

Dianic Wicca

Dianic Wicca is a branch of Wicca that focuses on feminist values and the worship of the Goddess Diana, often to the exclusion of any male God. There are a few different traditions that call themselves Dianic Wicca or Dianic Tradition. Dianic Feminist Wicca Witchcraft Tradition Dianic Feminist Wicca Witchcraft Tradition was established by Zsuzsanna Budapest in California in 1971 and continues to be influential today. It is a woman-centered tradition that excludes men from its rituals and...

Discarnate

Discarnate describes existence without or separate from a physical body.

Divination

Divination is the metaphysical work of finding the truth of an issue by using symbols and objects to interpret messages from the the collective unconscious or from communication with spirit beings. Many magic-users perform divination before performing a spell or other magical work in order to receive guidance as to how best to proceed and some will perform divination afterwards to predict how successful the spell was. Many Pagan groups will also perform divination after a ceremony or ritual to...

Doctrine Of Signatures

The Doctrine of signatures states that while Nature (or the Creator) has taken care to provide us with everything we need to keep ourselves well, She (or He, or It) has designed many useful herbs with clues to their use by making them, or part of them, look like the parts of the body that they are most useful for. That is, marking them with the signature of their proper use. The Doctrine of Signatures was used by ancient physicians, including Dioscorides (Greek CE 40-80) who was a medic in the...

Dowsing

Dowsing is a type of divination specifically for the location of objects, most notably water or treasure of some sort, but any item can be the subject of dowsing. Dowsing may be done with a dowsing rod or divining rod (Latin Virgula Divina, German Wünschelrute). The rod is usually a Y-shaped forked branch, the forks making a sort of handle and the branch they join to serving to point the way toward the hidden object. When the rod is pointing in the right direction, or moves over the area...

Draw

The word draw in magickal context refers to the act of creating an energetic atmosphere that brings in a certain type of energy. A drawing spell sets up a magnetic situation that draws in a certain type of energy that may manifest as a situation or even a person. For example, a business owner may perform a spell to draw customers, a homeowner may cast a spell upon her home to draw abundance and/or joy. A person may cast a spell upon himself to draw friends or romantic partners. A...

Drawing

A drawing spell is a spell designed to draw something or someone to you. The energy raised in a drawing spell is magnetized to attract a certain type of energy, whether it be abundance, health, happiness, or a certain individual or type of individual.

Drawing Down the Moon

Drawing Down the Moon is a ritual possession that is performed in some Wiccan and modern religious Witchcraft Circles. It is a direct invocation of The Goddess by the (usually) High Priestess. The Goddess enters the Priestess’s body and speaks through her mouth, often delivering blessings and divination. The term Drawing Down the Moon seems to imply a feminine deity, but some use it regardless of the perceived gender of either deity or vessel. The term Drawing Down the Sun is sometimes used when...

Dream Journal

A dream journal (or dream diary) is a journal that is used to record dreams; their content and thoughts about them, and possibly additional information such as lunar phase, the weather, what you ate or drank the night before that might affect your dreaming and any dream work exercises, their results and thoughts about them. A dream journal is a valuable tool for connecting with our subconscious self, identifying patterns in our attitudes and behavior and is necessary if you practice dream work...

Dream Pillow

A dream pillow is a pillow stuffed with fragrant herbs that encourage sleep and/or dreaming. It may be used for healing, to encourage the patient to rest, or it may be used by a magical practitioner in an effort to receive guidance or visions during sleep. Herbs that encourage sleep or dreaming include:

Dream Walking

Dream walking is a the movement of a person in a state of lucid dreaming from his own dream into the dream of another or, using dream space to travel to a different place in the real world. Some will argue that dream walking is astral projection while others keep dream work and astral work quite separate.

Dream Work

Dream work is any magical or mystical work done in dream space, or while sleeping. It includes lucid dreaming, dream walking, dream spells and dream interpretation. The term dreamwork is also used in psychoanalytic circles with regard to dream analysis.

dressing oil

Dressing oil is a specially prepared oil applied to spell and ritual objects before using them to sanctify, charge and prepare them for use or after assembling them to charge and activate them. This is called dressing or fixing the object. Dressing oils are often used to dress candles prior to burning them by completely coating the candle in the oil, or they may be used to dress and activate a mojo bag. Dressing oils may also be used to render mundane objects magical, for example, you may...

Dualism

Dualism is the belief in the existence of two opposing divine (or semi-divine) forces. In zoroastrianism and Abrahamic faiths these tend to be two opposing forces in conflict, that is, good and evil, usually a Creator and a destructive antagonist. This sort of dualism is also called ditheism. In Eastern and Nature-based dualist beliefs, these opposing forces are more likely to co-exist peacefully or work in harmony together, the opposites complimenting one another. As in a Father God and a...

Duotheism

Duotheism is the belief in two Gods whether they are two complimentary Gods working together or two competitive Gods, as in a creator and a destroyer. See also Dualism

The Delphic Maxims

The Delphic Maxims serve as guidelines for living for many Hellenic Pagans. The Delphic Maxims are inscribed at Delphi and are said to have been delivered by Apollo Himself. The Maxims are suggestions for pious living, not quite commandments, really strong recommendations. According to legend, they were written down by The Seven Sages who are usually identified as: Solon of Athens, Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mitylene and Periander of...

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