Affirmation: A statement of intent, written or spoken in a positive way and always in the present tense.

Amulet: A charm used to repel an undesired energy, condition, or entity. Protection amulets are among the most common and ancient magical tokens.

Altar: A special place you create to hold objects you use in your magic practice.

Athame: A ritual dagger, usually a double-edged knife about four to six inches long.

Aura: A halo or cocoon of light that appears to extend a few inches to as much as several feet out from the physical body.

Chakra: A Sanskrit word that literally means wheel, disk, or vortex. It usually refers to one of seven major energy centers that align from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.

Charm: A magical incantation or token you create, usually for yourself, for a particular intention.

Chi: In Eastern philosophy, this is the enlivening force in the universe that animates all life (also spelled qi).

Divination: The art of predicting the future, it literally means to let the divine realm manifest.

Elementals: Nonphysical beings that serve as ambassadors for the four elements. Each is a “citizen” of his or her particular realm, and each possesses unique qualities that are characteristic of the element she or he harkens from.

ESP: An acronym for extrasensory perception; an ability to perceive facts outside the range of the usual five senses and independently of any reasoning process.

Feng shui: Pronounced fung shway, this “art of placement” has been practiced in China for more than two millennia. Its objective is to direct the flow of vital energy, known as chi, through the environment in order to create balance and harmony.

Gematria: A practice that attaches a number equivalent to each letter in a word. Gematria was initially connected with the Hebrew language; however, its tenets can be applied to any language.

Grimoire: A magician's secret journal of spells and rituals.

Incantation: A rhymed affirmation.

Intention: A consciously designed wish or objective.

Magick: A way of spelling “magic” to distinguish it from stage illusion and magic tricks.

Medical intuitive: Someone who uses intuition to examine a patient and determine disturbances in the physical body, chakras, psyche, and subtle energy fields.

Occult: Hidden knowledge.

Ogham: The ancient Celtic tree alphabet consisting of twenty letters, each of which corresponds to a tree. Ogham (pronounced oh-am) letters also serve as mystical symbols.

Oracle: A direct link — either a human being or a tool such as tarot cards or runes — between your conscious self, your subconscious, and Divine Wisdom.

Qabalah: Sometimes spelled Kabbala, Cabala, and other ways, the Qabalah (pronounced ka-BA-lah) is a body of esoteric teachings that underlie Judaism mysticism.

Pentagram: A five-pointed star with a circle around it. An important symbol of protection, it's often used in magic ceremonies or worn as an amulet.

Runes: Letters derived from an ancient, usually old Teutonic, alphabet. Each rune is both a letter and a mystical glyph used to convey complex meanings.

Sabbat: Holy days in the old Celtic and Pagan traditions. Sabbats are based on the sun's position relative to the Earth and are celebrated approximately six weeks apart: on the solstices, the equinoxes, and halfway between these dates.

Scrying: A form of divination that involves gazing into a reflective surface, such as a crystal ball, to see the future.

Shaman: Someone who understands both the spirit world and the natural world, and journeys between them to obtain knowledge that can provide healing, guidance, and protection to his or her people.

Sigil: A uniquely personal symbol created in order to produce a specific result. Although there are various techniques for designing sigils, the easiest one involves fashioning an image from letters.

Synchronicity: Carl G. Jung's term for meaningful events that defy the usually accepted laws of cause and effect but that occur so often and in such amazing ways that they cannot be discounted as mere coincidences.

Talisman: A charm designed to attract something its owner desires. Gemstones and jewelry have long been favored as talismans.

Tarot: Pronounced tar-OH, this illustrated deck of cards (usually numbering seventy-eight) dates back to medieval times or earlier. It can be used as a form of divination or as a guide to spiritual/personal growth.