~Encyclopedia Wicca~

~S~

 
   
Sabbat One of the eight great festivals of the year, celebrating the seasonal tides of power of the Wheel of the Year; see Lesser Sabbats and Greater Sabbats
Sacred space Although all space is considered sacred, in ceremony, Sacred Space refers to the area enclosed when the circle is cast.
Salamanders The Elemental Order of Fire, the elemental spirits of the Fire Element
Salt As a symbol (and form) of Earth, salt is used for purification purposes during ritual; often it is mixed with water, and sprinkled over the area where the circle is to be cast - called "asperging".
Salt Bowl Placed on the altar to hold the Rock Salt, symbolising Earth.
Samhain Sabbat festival celebrated every November 1, to honour and remember our ancestors and the dead.
Scapulomancy Divination by the shoulder blades of animals.
Scatoscopy Divination by the examination of excrement.
Sciomancy Divination by shadows or ghosts.
Scrying This is the area of divining by gazing into a reflecting surface
Seal of Solomon A protective symbol or design said to have been originated by Solomon, and usually consisting of two interlaced triangles (now called the "Star of David") surrounded by the Tetragammaton and other symbols.
Sending Usually refers to the launching of power raised during a ritual toward the intended goal, but can also refer to transmission of telepathic messages or the sending of an entity to accomplish a specific task.
Shaman A man or woman who has attained a high degree of knowledge concerned altered states of consciousness.  Usually an honoured title associated with a structured form of study in what are generally regarded as Primitive or aboriginal religions.
Shamanism The practice of Shamans.
Shapeshifting The assumption of an animal form or appearance by a human magickian.  Everyone has heard scary tales of werewolves and vampires, but usually shapeshifting is done for entirely benign spiritual purposes by tribal shamans
Showstone A "crystal ball" or other polished stone used for divination (see "scrying").  Spheres of genuine quartz crystal are comparatively rare and expensive; but balls of obsidian or even leaded glass crystal work very well.
Sideromancy Divination by observing the movement of straws placed on a red hot iron.
Sidh (Daoine Sidhe) Children of the goddess Danu.  The Celtic Faerie-Folk.
Sigil A design or symbol representing a specific energy (for example a planetary sigil) or entity (such as an angelic power).
Simple Feast, The A ritual meal shared with the Goddess and God.
Skyclad To practice magick and ritual in the nude; naked.
Skyfather Assigning deification to the sky as a male entity.  Although shamanistic in its origins, it compliments Earth Mother perfectly.  Skyfather is also used by several Native American belief systems.
Solstice ("sun standing still") One of the two dates in the year when the Sun reaches its furthest position north, or south, of the equator: in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the north-most position, and begins the "Waning Side of the Year", while the Winter Solstice is the south-most position and begins the "Waxing Side of the Year"; called "solstice" because the Sun appears to stand still on that day, before beginning to move south/north again
Sorcery Sorcery is the use of witchcraft for negative and manipulative purposes, often with the aid of "evil spirits". This is not recommended.
Sortilege Divination by drawing lots.
Speculum Another term for "magick mirror"
Spell A magickal ritual used to produce certain results in the physical world.
Spiral The sacred spiral plays an important part in magickal workings.  It is the symbol of "coming into being".  A spiral dance celebrates the spiral symbolism.
Spirit The non-physical, immortal component of an entity; the soul.  Some spirits are incarnate, that is, they have material bodies; some are disincarnate, or not presently residing in a body; and some have never had a body.  There are human spirits of various kinds, Nature spirits, spirits of entities on or from other planes, and "higher" or "angelic" spirits.  "Channelling" is one form of communication with spirits, but there are many other ways.
Spirits of the Stones, The The elemental energies naturally inherent at the four directions of the Magic Circle, personified within the Standing Stones tradition as the "Spirits of the Stones".  They are linked with the elements.
Spodomancy Divination by looking at ashes.
Spring Equinox See Equinox
Staff The Staff directly relates to the wand and has the same attributes and uses.  Staves are used very frequently by witches today.
StarKindler Witches Traditional Witches who trace their line of initiatory descent from both Gerald Gardner and from Alex and Maxine Sanders, through a line of StarKindler High Priests and High Priestesses, according to the StarKindler Book of Shadows, and who practice the StarKindler Tradition of Wicca
Starlight Vision An intuitive, magickal, psychically-sensitive way of viewing the world, in which processes, things, entities and possibilities unseen by the logical mind or absent in consensus reality become evident.
Stichomancy Divination by random passages in books.
Succubus Female wraith form or demon, for the purpose of sexual intercourse; legend held that the succubus would manifest to a male, perhaps in his dreams, and thus acquire his semen; it would then take the form of an incubus and manifest to a woman
Summer Solstice See Solstice
Sun Not simply the star which warms and lights our world, but also a symbol of success, expansiveness, spiritual illumination, healing, and a powerful energy source for magick.  In some religions the Sun is personified as a Goddess ( Amaterasu Omikami, Arinna, Bast, etc) and in some as a God (Helios, Appollo, Ra).
Sword Directly relates to the athame and has the same attributes and uses.  The sword is still used by many witches in ritual and magick.
Sylphs The Elemental Order of Air, the elemental spirits of the Air Element  
Sympathetic Magick Magick working on the principle that an object or being can be affected by influencing something like it in some way, or related to it.  For example, one might draw a picture of her horse successfully leaping a high fence, then charge it, in order to help her horse become a stronger jumper.