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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 R. 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.


Reconstructionist

A reconstructionist, often referred to by the abbreviated term recon , is someone who wishes to emanate and practice their religion in a manner they best understand the ancients of a particular culture practiced it. What we often find while doing research into these paths is the common goal of recreating the pre-Christian religions in the modern world. While there is much information to glean what one needs, as far as religious practices go, there are definitely gaps, so most reconstructionists...

Resin

A resin (plant resin) is a thick, sticky liquid exuded by some plants as a defense mechanism against predators. This resin can be collected by humans and used for various purposes. Witches often use resins for incense and to add to oil blends. When the bark of certain trees is damaged, it bleeds resin which may trap an insect or the chemicals contained within may prove unpleasant to predators and drive them away. The chemicals within the resin may also prove healing to the tree, preventing the...

Retrograde Planet

When a planet is in retrograde, or exhibiting apparent retrograde motion, that planet appears to be moving in reverse orbit. That is, it seems to have changed direction. It is not actually moving backward, it just looks that way from Earth. This occurs because the speed of the Earth's motion and that of the planets is not the same, so you get an effect like that sense that you're moving backward when you're sitting still in a car and a big truck is rolling past your window. Eventually, as one...

Rite

A formal, ceremonial act often prescribed for a specific occasion. Rites of Passage, Rites of May, Sacrificial Rites.

Rite Of Passage

A Rite of Passage is a ritual that marks the movement from one phase of life to another. Some examples include- Birth, Naming, Age of Reason, Dedication into a Religion, Graduation, Adulthood, Beginning a Career, Ordination, Marriage, Divorce, Parenthood, Croning, Retirement and Death.

Ritual

A ritual is a series of actions performed in a pre-defined order, usually involving religious observances, spirituality or magical activity.

ritual bath

A ritual bath is a bath that is taken within a ritual context, as a part of a ritual or in preparation for ritual. It is often a part of personal cleansing rituals designed to prepare one for ritual work, or physical, emotional or spiritual healing rituals designed to wash away or banish energies contributing to disease or distress. See also: herbal bath

rod

A rod is a thin, straight shaft of wood or metal; a stick. A wand or a staff.

Runes

Runes are written symbols which represent sounds or ideas. Basically, they are letters that are named for objects. Specifically, they are letters in the ancient Germanic alphabets. The word rune comes from the Old Norse rĂșna which described the letters of Germanic alphabets used before Rome imposed its alphabet on Europe. In modern usage, the word rune is often used to describe a letter in any alphabet used for divination or other magical purposes. Types of Runes Many different alphabets have...


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