The Dictionary of Wiccan Terms

T

Talisman: An object charged (see Charge) with magickal energy to attract a specific force or power tothe bearer. See also amulet. ²Anything which is believed to bring good luck or protect from harm. May also be applied to various harbingers. ³ An object, often a representation of a god or goddess, that is supposed to be invested with the powers of the deity in question. (4) An object, such as an amethyst crystal, ritually charged with power to attract a specific force or energy to its bearer. Compare with Amulet. (5) An object, similar to an Amulet (q.v) but more specific and often constructive and not merely protective. It is designed for a particular individual and purpose, making the maximum use of appropriate symbols. (6) A constructed magickal object, usually inscribed with symbols, intended to attract certain specialized energies (clarity, wealth, health, safety, etc.) and worn as a piece of jewelry.(7) A portable magickal object that's created during auspicious astrological times to help with a specific goal or meet a need.

Tantra: An Indian cult, in which the practitioner explores the energies (often sexual) of his or her own being and transforms them into subtler, spiritual energies.

Tarot: A card pack used for spiritual growth and divination. See also, Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. ² A pack of cards, the earliest known examples of which are about 13^th century, used for divination and meditation. It consists of twenty two Major arcana or Trumps, each symbolizing an archetypal concept, and fifty - six Minor Arcana, divided into four suits of fourteen cards each - Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords, representing the four elements. Many designs are available nowadays, the most widely accepted standard pack being the Rider (or Waite) Deck. The modern pack of ordinary playing cards descended from the Tarot, and all the Major Arcana having disappeared from it except the Fool, who survives as the Joker; and one court card (The Knight) having disappeared from each suit of the Minor Arcana; Cups have become Hearts, Wands Clubs, Pentacles Diamonds, and Swords Spades. ³A set of images on cards, traditionally 78, probably first developed in Europe in the late 14^th Century. The pictures represent different stages in the lives and spiritual journey or humankind. The tarot is extremely popular as a tool for divination and self-understanding among modern Witches.

Telekinesis: The power of moving physical objects by purely psychic effort.

Telepathy: A mental ability that allows one to read minds and/or the emotions of others, sometimes with startling accuracy. ²Transference fo an idea or of a visualized image directly from mind to mind; now accepted as a fact of experience.

Temple: A coven's ritual meeting-place which is used for no other purpose; a desirable asset but not indispensable, since a Magick Circle may be cast anywhere.

Thaumaturgy: "Low Magick" used to influence things and events in everyday life: to protect your house, heal a cold, get a job, travel safely, etc.

Theurgy: "High Magick" employed to connect with Deity and foster spiritual growth or transformation.

Third Eye:The Chakra located between and slightly above the eyebrows. Also known as the brow chakra, it is the site of inner vision and intuition.

Thought Forms: Forms created by strong positive or negative thoughts that can exist on the etheric or spiritual level that can affect a person's mental functioning.(2) Literally a thought transformed into a manifestation of itself in one form or another.

Three Levels of Self: Some Wiccan traditions use a model of the Self which has three parts: Younger or Lower Self, "Talking Head" or Middle Self, and God/dess or Higher Self. The model is similar to that of Huna, or in some ways Freudian psychology.

Threefold Law: See "Law of Return".

Thurible: A mental incense burner, sometimes suspended from a triple chain, used for cleansing and as a symbol of Air in ritual.

Tincture: A liquid produced by soaking plant materials in ethyl alcohol (or medicinally, in apple cider vinegar) to produce a scented liquid.

Tools: A word much-used in Wicca, this term includes both physical objects used to facilitate Wiccan ritual (censers, wands, candles, salt, water, and incense) as well as internal processes (visualization and concentration, among others). In some forms of Magick, this term also refers to stones, herbs, colors, and other sources of power utilized in spells.

Tradition, Wiccan: An established system of Wiccan practices that is handed down through circle spin-offs or through family generations.² An organized, structured, specific Wiccan sub-group usually initiatory, with often unique ritual practices. Many traditions have their own Books of Shadows and may or may not recognize members of other traditions as Wiccan. Most traditions are composed of a number of Covens as well as solitary practitioners. ³A division or denomination of Wiccan religion. Some of the best known traditions are the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Faery, Dianic, Pagan Way, and New Reformed Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD). Many covens are eclectic and draw from more than one tradition.

Traditionals: Witches who follow traditions which they (or their predecessors) were keeping in being before the Gardnerian (q.v) revival. They overlap with the Hereditaries (q.v).

Tree of Life: The central glyph or diagram of the Cabala (q.v). It consists of ten interconnected spheres of Sephiroth (singular sephira), each representing a category of cosmic being and activity, from Kether (the Crown, pure existence) down to Malkuth ( The Kingdom, physical manifestation). It also represents the involution from the ultimate Divine principle of Kether into material manifestation, and the evolution of Malkuth back to the source, enriched by the experience of the whole cycle. Any macrocosmic or microcosmic phenomenon or condition can be related to one of the Sephiroth, and the Tree is of great help in understanding their interactions. ²(Qabalistic) A traditional glyph representing the Ten Sephiroth, the "Voices from Nothing" or modes of being perceptible to man as existing both in the external universe and in his own nature. These are shown as spheres or circles arranged in a particular way which shows their mutual equilibrium.

Trilithon: A stone arch made from two upright slabs with one lying atop these. Trilithons are featured in Stonehenge.

Triple-Burner Meridian:One of the body meridians used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Tropic of Cancer: 23.5 degrees latitude north parallel to the equator.

Tropic of Capricorn: 23.5 degrees latitude south parallel to the equator.

Tropical Astrology: The measure of the zodiacal year, beginning when the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator at the vernal equinox.

Tropical Year: The precise interval of time in between to consecutive vernal equinoxes; 365.242 days.

Tuatha Dé Danaan: Ancient race of Irish gods descended from the goddess Danu. Predecessors of the faeries.

Tuathal: See Widdershins.

Twin Souls: See Soul-Mates.