Glossary of Terms

Witches and pagans have a lot of specialized vocabulary and in-group terminology. This will be updated with some amount of regularity in an attempt to keep it up to date. I do not use platforms like TikTok, so terminology that originated on WitchTok and the associated communities might be added pretty late, if at all.

[Updated December 21st, 2025]

A

Altar

A place set up specifically for conducting rituals, giving offerings or doing spellwork. Altars will be covered in depth at a later date.

Animism

The belief that everything (people, animals, plants, objects, etc) has its own spirit. This will be covered in depth at a later date.

B

Book of Shadows

A book of magical knowledge and experiences kept by Wiccans and, sometimes, eclectic pagans and non-Wiccan witches. It differs from a grimoire in the sense that a Wiccan Book of Shadows also keeps information that some may keep in a journal. Some covens may also have a shared Book of Shadows where information specific to their group may be kept.

C

Coven

Typically used in the context of Wicca and witchcraft, but some other types of pagans may call their groups covens as well. Covens are initiatory groups of witches/pagans with similar practices. Many keep their rituals, spells, etc secret and only allow initiated members access to this information. Many have degrees of initiation and have a hierarchical organization structure. This will be covered in depth at a later date.

D

Deity

A god, or any other being that is considered divine (ie a hero, demigod, etc).

E

Eclectic

A witch or pagan (or both) who blends multiple practices together. This will be covered in depth later.

F

Fluffy Bunny

A derogatory term for a witch/pagan who is percieved as being too "love and light" (ie toxic positivity) and, perhaps, as being more concerned with the aesthetics of witchcraft/paganism, rather than meaningful practice.