Wiccan Terminology (P)

PAGAN
Generally accepted as anyone who follows any religion which believes in more than one God. These are called polytheistic religions and are usually nature based. The literal Latin translation is “country dweller”.

PAGANING
Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the Gods.

PANTHEISTIC
Seeing the Divine as everywhere and in everything.

PANTHEON
This is the term used for that group of Gods and/or Goddess accepted by a religious path. There are set groups as in Egyptian, Greek and Roman, but some Pagans and Wiccans may select only a subset of the known Gods and Goddesses.

PENDULUM
An object hanging from a string or chain used in divination. The object could be anything with some weight, like a crystal or brass object. A favorite is a lady’s long hair with her wedding ring hanging from the end.

PENTACLE
This is a five pointed star within a circle. When worn as jewelry one of the points upwards and represents spirit. The other four points in the lower set and represents air, earth, fire and water.

PENTAGRAM
This is a five pointed star, but it has gained a negative meaning (or satanic) by Christian religious perversion. Worn as jewelry it can be worn with one point upwards or downwards (two points upwards). When worn with one point downwards it signifies a person is a second degree initiate in some traditions. Many, however, have changed this due to the negative connotation given by Christian perversion. The two points upward is worn by those specifically rebellious to Christianity and who worship the Christian evil called Satan, the Devil or Lucifer.

PENTALPHA
A pentacle with a powerful magical design.

PERSONA
The “comforting cloak” of the Ego; the self-image which the Ego builds up to reassure itself and to present to the world.

PERSONAL POWER
That energy which sustains our bodies. It ultimately originates from the Goddess and God (or, rather, the power behind Them)

PISCES
The 12th sign in the zodiac. Symbolized by the Two Fishes, is a Water sign and is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune.

PLANES
The various levels of being and activity – Spiritual, Mental, Astral, Etheric and Physical.

POLARITY
The term given to those energies which balance everything in the world. These energies consist of equal, opposite energies like yin and yang, dark and light, sun and moon, etc. These energies exist in everything.

POPPET
This is a doll specially prepared to represent a particular person at whom a spell is directed.

POSTULANT
See: Neophyte

POTION
An herbal tea or brew used in many magical or healing rituals.

POWWOW
A term used for the type of folk magic based on 400 year old Elite German Witchcraft and indigenous to the Dutch Country of Pennsylvania. Also known as hexcraft.

PRANA
The vital force of the Cosmos as it operates on the Etheric level; it permeates this and other solar systems, and every living organism is charged with a concentration of it.

PRECOGNITION
Psychic awareness of future events.

PRIEST
A male dedicated to both the service of his chosen deity(s) and humankind. A “High Priest” is the male leader of a coven and plays the role of the Horned God in certain ceremonies.

PRIESTESS
A female dedicated to both the service of her chosen deity(s) and humankind. A “High Priestess” is the female leader of a coven and plays the role of the Goddess in certain ceremonies.

PROJECTION
The psychological mechanism of subconsciously crediting (or discrediting) another person with qualities or shortcomings which are in fact elements of one’s own psyche.

PROJECTIVE HAND
Your strong hand, the one you use for writing, working, etc. It is the point at which personal power is sent from the body, as opposed to the receptive hand.

PSYCHE
The total non-physical make-up of a human being.

PSYCHIC MIND
The subconscious or unconscious mind, in which we receive psychic impulses. The psychic mind is at work when we sleep, dream and meditate.

PSYCHISM
The act of being consciously psychic, in which the Psychic Mind and Conscious Mind are linked and working in harmony. Ritual Consciousness is a form of psychism.

PSYCHOMETRYv
The psychic “reading” of a material object, and its associations and history, by handling it.

PURGINGS
Lesser exorcisms that cleanse and turn away negativity or impediments, absorb negativity to be buried for grounding, and dissipate negative energies.