Arcane Glossary
Updated 8/1/22
Every time I think I’ve finished this glossary, more terms present themselves. I haven’t been able to check all my reference books because I am in the process of moving. In time I will remedy that.
These are terms that might be known by a 14th or 15th century magician in the Western tradition. So, terms like “remote viewing” would not be in this list. Some of these terms refer to whole catalogues of specific terminology not covered here yet, such as specific symbols, alchemical terms, caballistic terms, etc. Perhaps those will enter the list at a later time.
Abjure—Renounce a thing
Ablution—Ritual bathing
Abracadabra—Magic word, probably a corrupted anagram
Abraxas—Magic word, probably a corrupted anagram
Absolve—To release someone or something
Adept/us—One who is very skilled or proficient at something, especially magic
Adjure/ing—Solemn request for someone to do something, To urgently request or swear, forcefully command a hostile entity
Adumbrative—Foreshadowing or symbolizing, vague foreshadowing
Aegis—A shielding, backing, or protection
Aeromancy—Divination by studying atmospheric conditions, and weather reading
Aether/ial—Rarified subtle substance, spiritual, high vibrational plane
Agricultural Magic—Spells for insuring the health and fecundity of livestock and crops, fending off disease, rot, and destructive weather
Alakazam—Magic word
Alarum—Setting up warning alarms around self or perimeter
Alchemy/ist/ical—Transforming substance from base material to refine material
Alkahest—The universal solvent that can dissolve any substance, including gold. Used in
alchemy and healing
Alraune—Female Demon
Amulet/ic—a passive defensive device usually a piece of jewelry or small object with spells written out on them
Anagram—Word created by rearranging the letters of another word, used in Kaballah
Ananisapta—Magic word, protection versus disease
Angelology—Working with angels
Anima Mundi—Also called zietgeist, it is the spirit of the world and perhaps the collective
unconsciousness.
Apotheosis—Aka henosism, elevation from mortality to divinity
Apotropaic Magic—Object meant to deflect evil eye, curses, and evil magic
Apport—Conjuring an item through solid interveners
Aquastor—Entity created and sustained by concentrated thought and focused visualization
Arcane—Understood by few, a secret thing
Arcanum—Elixir used as stimulant for divination
Archaes—Astral light
Archmage/us—Very powerful mage
Art—A skill, byword for magic skill
Asomatic—Disembodied body of light, anchored to its gross (i.e. corporal) body by its silver
chord
Asomatic—Disembodied spirit during astral travel
Asport—Conjuring an item through solid interveners
Astral Shell—Abandoned astral body or shell in the process of distintigrating
Astral—Non-physical realm that corresponds to the physical realm, synonymous with the
ethereal realm, on higher vibratory existence
Astrology—Divination by studying astronomical movements
Athame—Ceremonial dagger used in energy work, ceremonies, and magic circles
Audition—Hearing noise with ears or physical means
Augury—Divination by bird watching
Augury—Foretelling future by interpreting omens
Aureole/Aura—Related to a halo
Auspice—Divination by observing birds, positive augury
Automaton—Lifelike mechanical contrivance
Azoth—Universal medicine or universal solvent used in alchemy
Bane—the active element of a doom
Banish/ing—Dismiss, exorcise, license to depart; removal of unwanted forces or entities
Baptise—Purification, and rebirth by immersion ceremony
Barbarous Name—Unholy names with terrifying power
Bardry/Bardism—Bardic magic
Beautify—Recognize or confirm one’s holiness or saintliness
Benison/Benediction—Approval, a transmission of divine grace. See also blessing.
Bewitch—Cast a spell over someone, see Witch
Bezoar—Magic stone in animal innards
Bilocation—Mage is in two locations simultaneously
Bind/ing—AKA Ensorclement, bewitchment, adjuration, fascination, charm, enchantment—Attaching one thing to another, or a binding oath
Black Magic—Left-hand path, evil magic, necromancy
Blasting Rod—Ceremonial wand for conjuring and directing energy of yarrow or yew
Blasting—Folk curse
Blessing—See Benison/Benediction
Body of Light—Also called a subtle body, this is a person’s astral or aetherial double, attached to his living body by a silver chord, or as a soul, spirit, ghost, if his body is deceased.
Book of Shadows—Grimoire, a book of spells
Brandea—Object associated with subject
Cant/Charm/Chant/Cantrip/Enchant/Incantation—Speaking or singing words to influence subject
Cantrip—Short spell
Cast/Casting—Releasing or throwing a spell at a subject
Cat’s Eyes—Night vision like a cat’s
Catalepsy—Motionless state of gross body during astral travel
Channeling—Serving as the medium for an outside force or entity
Charisms—extraordinary gifts such as prophecy, glossolalia, etc
Charm/ing—Magic, affecting something by magic, or an object or act believed to have magic
power
Chiromancy—palmistry, divination by reading lines on subject’s hands
Chthonic—Relating to underground/subterranean entities
Circumnambulation—Walking in a circle
Cleansing Magic—Spells for removing curses, negative spirits, and bad luck from places and
people
Cleansing—A form of banishing, cleanse area or objects from negative energies bound spirits
and evil influences.
Cleromancy—Divination by casting lots, similar to cartomancy
Closing the Circle—Create a protective shell around self that also focuses magic power within
Cold Iron—Mined deep underground, it repels faeries, ghosts, demons, vampires, and other supernatural creatures
Compathy—Shared group empathy
Compulsion/Compel—Urge to behave in a certain way against one’s wishes
Conductors—Materials that conduct magic include silver, human hair, silk, magnets, and water
Cone of Power—Raising and focusing energy in ritual magic
Conjure/tion/ury—Calling something from elsewhere, sending something elsewhere,
teleporting something from one location to another, make something appear from nowhere,
summoning a spirit or entity, see also asport and apport
Consecrate—Dedicate, charge, or empower an item or being. Deconsecrate is to undedicate a
place or being, reducing it for blessed to normal.
Consign—To send away something/someone, deliver someone or something into custody
Corporeal—With a body, material, of gross matter
Coven—Twelve witches plus their mistress
Craft—A skill, byword for magic skill
Cunning Man—See Hedge wizard
Curse—Also called a malediction, hex, hex-death, malison, murrain, or mollochio—Spell to inflict harm or punishment, by word or by evil eye
Cyanathropy—Humans who can transform into dogs
Demon Bowl—Also incantation bow and devil-trap bowl, used for imprisoning demons and
unclean spirits
Demon/Daemon—Evil, non-human entity who delight in torturing and/or possessing mortals and stealing mortal souls
Demonology—Harnessing demons for your use
Divination—Knowing the future, also called augury, foretelling, sixth sense, or second sight
Dowsing—Using rods or twigs to locate water, underground objects, or specific energies
Egregor—Nonphysical entity created from a group's thoughts and beliefs
Elemental—Supernatural entity created or summoned by magic, usually appearing as
salamanders, undines, gnomides, or sylphs
Elixir—Magical potion
Enchant/Cant/Charm/Enchantment/Incantation—All based on the root word “charm,” or
“cant.” Using words to influence someone or “charm” them, magic inherent in spoken words
themselves. The state of being under an enchantment. Using magic words or speaking the
spell
Ensorcelled—See sorcery
Eschatological Magic—Magic centered on prophecy and the end of the world
Evil eye—Curse transmitted by sight/vision, aka mollochio
Evoke/Evocation/Evoker—Channel magic externally, call for a deity or spirit to aid you
Exaltation—State of heightened awareness
Execration—Cursing or denouncing
Exorcise/cism/cist—Forcibly banish an entity such as a demon or unclean spirit
Experimenta—Euphamism for a spell
Extra-Retinal Vision—Sight through skin, not eyes
Exuvial—Sympathetic magic employing mumia
Faery Sight—Pierce illusion and invisibility, usually a salve applied to eyes
Fairy Dust—Magic dust that collects when faeries dance or when they create faerie rings.
Familiar—An imp who takes animal form and serves a witch, but steals her soul when she dies
Fascinate/Fascinous/Fascinated/Fascinating—Bewitched or enchanted
Fetishes—Magic items in general, an inanimate object with magic powers or inhabited by a
spirit
Fith Fath—Invisibility
Focus—device that focuses and intensifies concentration (ring, wand, magic circle, etc.)
Gamea—Box that harvests planetary/astrological power
Gate—A two-way bridge or portal across space-time or across planes of existence
Geas—a magically imposed prohibition or restriction which, if broken, soon leads to the bound
subject's death
Gemetria—Cabbalistic interpretation of text by numerology
Geomancy—Divination by throwing handfuls of earth or stones; arranging buildings and
furniture by earth energy auspiciously
Gesture Magic—Using hand signs in spell casting, aka somatic magic
Ghost/Spirit/Umbra/Revenant/Undead/Entity—Discarnate mortal soul trapped on earth
Glamour/Glam/Grammar/Glamour/Grammarye/Grammar/Grimoire—Throw a spell on someone to make something seem more attractive, bewitched, enchanted. It is tied with language, specifically spelling and grammar
Glossolalia/Xenoglossia—speaking tongues in a religious fervor, usually requires an interpreter
Glyph—Pictograph or small graphic, a symbolic talisman
Goety/Goetia—Black, evil or demonic magic
Golem—Clay figure animated by magic
Gray Magic—Natural magic (herbs, etc)
Greal—Magic drink of enlightenment
Great Work—Alchemists’ long-term goal
Grimoire—as related to words, spell book or book on demonology, aka Book of Shadows
Gross Matter—Low vibrational plane, the stuff of the material world or being “corporeal”
Ground/Grounding—Dispelling excess magical energy into ground
Guide—Spiritual ally and guardian
Healing Magic—Magically healing others, aka Medicinal Magic
Hedge Jumping—Astral projection, living in liminal areas, living in both the spiritual and physical world
Hedge Wizard—Folk magician/healer, male counterpart to the wise woman
Heka—Magic energy in Egyptian magic
Henosis—Uniting with the divine to achieve perfection, aka Apotheosis
Hermetic—Mystic school that encompasses astrology, Kaballah, and alchemy
Hex—Cast a spell on victim, bewitch, curse
Hey Presto—Magical words
High Magic—Also called ritual, learned, planetary or ceremonial magic, revolves around
astrology and planetary, uses magic squares, advanced correspondences, and astrological charts
Hocus Pocus—Magic word
Holy Water—Will ward off or burn demons, unclean spirits, vampires. It can seal portals to hell, or, if sprinkled on a corpse, prevent it from becoming undead.
Homunculus—Miniature human created by alchemist
Hydromancy—Divination by water and its movement
Ichthor—Demon blood
Illusion/Mirage/Phantasmagoria/Phantasma—Appearance of a thing. In medieval magic, the illusion is real during its short duration, and acts as a real thing
Immortality—Ceasing to age, possibly living forever
Imp—A diminutive demon, may assume animal form and act as a familiar
Incant/tation/Cant/Charm—To speak magic words aloud, reciting a charm or chant ("cant")
Incarnate/ion—Object or being that manifests into material form
Incorporeal—Without a body, ghostly, unmanifest
Inescration—Healing by transferring ills to plants by urination
Insufflation—Rapid shallow breathing pattern sometimes used in spell casting
Invoke/cation/ker—Channel magic or entity through or into self, call for a deity or spirit to aid you fervent plea
Irroration—Healing by transferring the patients' ills to animals
Kaballah—Mystic whole world view of emanations
Knack—Clever or deceitful trick
Lampoone—Powerful curse that destroys victim’s reputation usually cast by bards
Law of Names—All things have secret names, and if discovered grant magical power over that thing. See True Name
Legal Magic—Spells to win court cases and decisions
Legerdemain—Sleight of hand
Ligature—A thing used to tie or bind someone or something, usually a healing talisman written with a spell and worn
Lithomancy—Divination by reflected light from stones
Locate Lost Item Magic—Spells that can locate stolen property, and sometimes even force its return
Locate Thief Magic—Spells that identify a thief, and possibly even force his return and confession
Lost Word—Contains all secrets and grand unified theory, God’s word of creation
Love Magic—Erotic magic aimed at forcing others to love or desire the mage, usually for sexual purposes
Low Magic—Also called folk magic, it concerns healing, herbalism, curses and removing curses, and agricultural magic
Lustration—Ritual bathing
Lycanthropy—Men who can transform into werewolves
Magic/Magick/Magik/Mage/Magus/Magi—Working change through true will
Manifestation—creation, materialization, incarnation
Mantic/Mant/Mancy—Divination or prophesy, Act of divining or relating to prophecy, also called fatidic, usually a suffix
Mediumship—Channeling, communion
Mind Palace—Mnemonic method of storing and retrieving a large catalogue of knowledge
Miracle—Inexplicable thaumaturgical event, divine event usually channeled through saint
Mollochio—Evil eye
Monas Heiroglyphica—Meta root symbol that syncretically spawned all things and could be used to control reality
Mortuary Magic—Spells and amulets to protect the dead and corpses, preventing reanimation as revenants, vampires, undead, etc.
Multilocation—Mage is in three plus locations simultaneously
Mumia—Portions of a victim (nail clippings, hair etc)
Muraine—The agent of disease
Mysterium—Material object’s spiritual prime essence
Mysticism—Direct communion with the divine
Necromancy/er/Nigromancer—Speaking to the dead, expanded to cover all forms of wicked or black magic
Necromantic Mirror—Black, obsidian mirror for scrying
Nectromancy—True vision
Notriquon/Anacronym/Acronym—The breaking of words to encapsulate their essence
Numerology—Divining the divine meaning meanings and powers of numbers
Numinous Spirits—deity or spirit presiding over a thing or space, or power focused through a saint. Most often applied to planetary governors.
Nycomancy—Poison magic
Oath/Compact—Voluntary binding, spoken personal binding
Occult/Occulted—Secret
Omen—Negative augury
Omnipresence—Being in all places simultaneously
Omniscience—Knowing all things simultaneously
Oneiromancy/Oinomancy—Dream work and dream magic
Open Sesame—Magic word
Paroptic—Eyeless sight, extra-retinal vision
Pendulum Dowsing—Divination by movements of pendulum
Pentacle—special amuletic devices
Periapt—Item worn as charm or talisman
Philosopher’s Stone—Alchemical source of immortality, and the secret of transmutation
Philosophy—A science or school of magic
Philter—Love potion
Phylactery—Small leather box to keep a holy text in
Planetary Magic/Power—Power harvested from planetary motion. It is the root of high magic, a hermetic astrological system
Pocket Plane—Small plane of existence, often larger on inside than its outer dominions
Poiesis—Making
Poppet—Effigy or doll representing a person, sympathetic bond used to affect subject
Portal—Spiritual gate, an invisible breach for spirits to come and go. Usually found in stationary location, perhaps in a wall, mirror, or even open air
Portent—Neutral augury
Practical Alchemy—Forerunner to chemistry, focused on transmuting base metal to gold. Process revolves around mercury and sulphur
Practice—Byward for the Art or studying magic
Praxis—doing, engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, or practicing ideas
Prayer—Solemn expression for help or thanks to God
Prediction—prophecy, reed, oracle, vanticination, sooth
Present(ation)—How an entity chooses to present himself, his chosen appearance
Prestidigitation/Prestigiation/Prestige/Prestigious/Prestidigitator—Tricks that imitate magic or fool senses
Prima Materia—Also called First Matter, it is the unmanifest stuff that becomes matter
Psychomanteum—Mirrored infinite loop for scrying and making portals
Pyromancy—Divination by staring into fire
Quintessence—Refined essence or extract of a substance
Rainmaking—Subset of weather magic
Rapport—special connection between two people
Relic—Objects, usually saintly bodily remains, fluids, or clothing, that channel divine miracles
Resurrection—Bringing the dead back to life
Rhabdomancy—Divination with rods, wands, staffs, sticks, arrows, etc.
Rites—Religious or ceremonial act or observance
Ritual—series of actions according to prescription
Rune—Letter from runic alphabet, contains symbolic power
Sa—Divine blood
Sacerdotal Theurgy—Mage’s intellects ascends into the heavens to survey the construction of creation
Sacred Geometry—The divine meanings and symbolism of geometric shapes and proportions. Used for occulted messages and architecture most often.
Saint—Mortal of great holiness who becomes a divine intercessor after death, channeling divine aid to the innocent and faithful
Salve—Ointment
Sciomancy—Speaking with shadows
Scry/Skry/Scrying/Scryer/Scrie—Read the future, seeing or knowing at a distance, perception outside that of the senses perhaps across time and space
Seal/Signum—A sign
Second Sight—Ability to see past or future
Seer—Seeing, or possessor of second sight
Shape-changing—Magic that changes the subject’s shape, details vary. Also called transmutation and transmogrification.
Shew/Show Stone—Refers to shew stone used for scrying
Sigal—Sign, seal, or symbol invested with magic power
Signification/Erodinium—Powerful symbolic vision
Silver Chord—Ties spirit to body, if severed, the body dies, a spiritual tether
Sim Sala Bim—Magic word
Sky Clad—Naked for ritual
Somatic Magic—Actions or movements required to cast a spell
Sorcery/er/ess—Black arts, aka the left-hand path or maleficium
Sortilege—Divination by cards or pulling from collection
Soul Object—Binding a mage’s health to an inanimate object. As long as the object is unharmed, the magic is unharmed. Object is usually hidden for the mage’s ongoing safety
Spatulamancy—Divination by looking at animal’s shoulder blade
Spell caster—One who casts or throws a spell
Spell/ing—A magic rite or formula that changes reality in conformance with true will. The grammatical spelling of a word, which itself is a symbol or glyph that encapsulates an idea.
Words of magic, literally spelling a word, magical charm, or incantation. Illustrates the connection of language to magic.
Spiritual Alchemy—Process to transmute the mage’s soul to perfection
Staff—See wand or blasting rod
Stave—Rod carved with runes, a spell
Subtle—Very fine matter, ethereal, ephemeral
Summon/Summoning/Summoner—Conjuration of entity
Sympathy—Things that are alike are connected and affect each other
Talisman—Icon that harvests planetary/atrological power for protection; magic object for protection or good luck
Tarot—Playing card or deck of playing cards for divination
Telesm—Amuletic object used for protection
Thaumaturge/Thaumaturgy—Worker of wonders, magician, theater, saints channeling miracles creating supernatural effects in the world
Theoria—Thinking, contemplation
Therianthropy—Humans transforming into animals
Theurgic/Theurgy/theurgist—God working, invoking a god or spirit to fulfill your wishes
Third Eye—Invisible third eye on forehead that allows for higher levels of consciousness and perception and nectromancy
Thrice-Forged—Powerful magic weapons
Transfiguration—Medium assumes bodily characteristis of a specific ghost
Transmigration—Soul passing from life to death
Transmogrification—Shape-shifting
Transmutation—Changing materials
Transubstantiation—Changing materials essence from one thing to another without changing its outer form
Treasure Magic—Spells for locating lost or hidden treasure
Tree of Life—Caballistic map of the spiritual universe
True Name—A secret name that expresses subjects’ true nature. If another person learns it, he may control the true name’s owner. See Law of Names
True Will—The active element of mental power, intent
Ululation—Long howl or wailing used in spell casting and energy work
Umbra/Umbral—Ghost or shadow of dead that lingers around tomb. Umbral describes any ghostly thing, even, entity, etc.
Unclean Spirit—Demon or wicked spirit that aims to possess mortals
Unguent—Greasy material used as salve or lubrication
Unspoken Water—Ceremonial healing water specially collected
Vaulderie—Connection with diabolical powers
Vibration—Vocal technique often used in casting, usually low and sonorous
Virtue—Power associated with symbols, words, ideas, or its essence, etc
Wand—Staff, rod, or stick used to focus magic or indicate a magus’ stature
Ward—A protection, a shielding aegis
Warlock/Warlockery—Betrayer, Cross-dresser, not a male witch
Weather Binding—Weather Magic
Weird—One's immutable fate
White Magic—The right-hand path, good magic, and church magic
Wind Binding—Subset of weather magic
Wise Woman—Witch, counterpart to male Hedge Wizard
Wise—Byword for magic, also wiz equals wise or aged, wizard, witch
Wish—Hope or desire for something to happen, or a manifestation of true will
Witch's Mark—Diabolical blemish on witch’s body that identifies her as a witch, nerveless, and used to suckle a familiar
Witch/Witchery/Witchcraft/Bewitch—Wise, usually a witch (woman) or wizard (man)
Wizard—Wise man
Work/Working—Byword for casting or using magic, a long involved spell, sometimes months long
Wyc—Wise, Divination
Interesting glossary.