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 L. 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.
La Llorona
La Llorona means the Weeping Lady. In addition to being a Woman in White - a lady ghost who wanders by lonely roadways at night - La Llorona is also considered by some communities to be a demon or even a tulpa. In most communities La Llorona is thought to be the ghost of a woman who was betrayed by her lover, who murdered her children for revenge. In Texas she is thought by some to be the ghost of La Malinche. In life La Malinche was an Aztec woman who served as a translator for the Spanish...
Lenormand
Lenormand is a system of cartomancy vary loosely based upon that developed by Marie Anne Lenormand during the Napoleonic era. The cards are more properly called Madame Lenormand Fortune Telling Cards, but are usually simply called Lenormand cards (or, affectionately Lennies) and the system referred to simply as Lenormand. There are two types of Lenormand decks: the Petit Jeu Lenormand and the Grand Jeu Lenormand. The Petit Lenormand deck usually has 36 cards and is much simpler with regard to...
Libation
A libation is a beverage poured out as an offering to a deity, spirit or beloved dead within a ritual context as a form of communion or to give honor and thanks. Libations vary by tradition. Alcoholic beverages, milk, honey, water and oil are all used as libations. Libations may be poured into a dedicated container such as a libation bowl or patera, onto a sacred object such as an altar or the statue of a deity, or into the Earth. In modern English vernacular, the word libation is often used...
Litany
Within a spiritual context, a litany is a long, repetitious series of prayers, invocations and supplications often led by a priest/ess with responses from the group. These are often rhythmic and chant-like. In common speech, the word litany often refers to a list or a series on a theme. As in a litany of complaints . A common use of the word litany in Pagan spirituality is the Litany of the Dead. This is a list of names of those who have died read by a ceremonial leader with or without response...
Litany Of The Dead
The Litany of the Dead is a list of the honored dead, often read at Samhain or a Feast of the Dead as part of the ritual.
Lithomancy
Lithomancy is a form of divinatory arts in which stones are used to “see” the past, clarify the present, or predict the future. The history and origin of lithomancy is not clear. There is little to no records on the use of lithomancy in ancient times and so, many aspects of the art remain a mystery. Some historians believe that it originated in ancient Turkey, in the city of Constantinople, now called Istanbul. Others believe that it dates back to pre-Roman times. The earliest recorded account...
Low Magick
Low Magick is practical magick; magical activities undertaken in order to achieve a practical, usually material result. Low Magic, also often referred to as folk magic, was historically practiced by the lower classes- those people whose primary concern was survival. Low magical practices were usually simple, revolving around simple charms and brief rituals, with more elaborate rituals being reserved for special occasions and often including the community (harvest and planting rituals, for...
Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is active, conscious dreaming. Not just knowing you're dreaming, but taking on an active role in your dream. Dreaming is a very important part of many Pagan spiritualities. Ancient lore is full of the messengers of God(s) visiting people in their dreams to give advice, commands and general knowledge. If dreaming wasn't important to the people who first began to repeat these stories, there would be no story, or at least, the messenger wouldn't come in a dream but would knock on the...
Lunar Day
In occult terminology, a lunar day begins at moonrise and ends when the moon sets. The first lunar day always occurs at the moment of the New Moon. The second lunar day begins the next moonrise after the New Moon. It is important to note that these times are location-specific. The first lunar day for you begins at the moment of the New Moon where you are. For me it may begin a few hours before or after depending on my location in relation to yours. Each lunar day is lucky or unlucky for certain...
Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in syzygy or perfect (or near perfect) alignment. A lunar eclipse can only take place during the period of the full moon. Types of Lunar Eclipses A penumbral lunar eclipse takes place when the moon passes through the Earth's penumbra, its outer shadow. This causes a darkening of the appearance of a portion of the moon, but not its disappearance. A total penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is completely immersed in the Earth's...
Lunar phase
The term lunar phase or phase of the moon refers to the illuminated portion of the moon as viewed from Earth. The illumination of the moon is determined by the angle at which the sun hits its surface and reflects off. As the moon travels through its orbit around the Earth, this angle changes cyclically with the illuminated portion of the moon increasing as the motion of the moon puts the Earth between the moon and the sun and decreasing as the orbit of the moon puts the moon between the Sun...
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