Browse the Stylebook by letter

alternative medicine

Medical practices that are not widely accepted in the conventional medical profession; examples include acupuncture, homeopathy and Ayurveda.

Posted in Religion and culture

atheopaganism

A neopagan movement with rituals that emphasize the natural world and a firm set of ethics and principles, but which does not believe in gods, the divine or the supernatural.

Posted in Atheism/Agnosticism, Paganism/Wicca

countercult movements

Various social movements, largely led by Christian groups, against New Religious Movements, particularly against occult and alternative religions.

Posted in Religion and culture

cybersectarianism

The occurrence of new religious groups and movements using the internet to share information and grow their organizations.

Posted in Other faiths

Dianic witchcraft

A neopagan form of religious tradition that is centered on the divine feminine and Goddess worship. Has some overlap with Wicca, in that members follow the Wiccan Rede, but differs in that most Wiccans worship both the masculine and feminine.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

ecospirituality

Spirituality combined with ecological and environmental awareness and activism.

Posted in Religion and culture

esbat

A meeting within Wiccan and other occult communities that is timed around the lunar cycle; includes social and business engagements rather than major holy days. See also: sabbat.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

esotericism

The field of knowledge requiring specialized information to understand; Western esotericism is generally considered belief in occult knowledge.

Posted in Religion and culture

Godhead

Divine essence, or the insubstantial nature of ultimate reality or God.

Posted in Religion and culture

holistic

In philosophy, the belief in the interconnectedness of all things into a greater whole. In medicine, the belief in the treatment of the whole person, rather than certain aspects of a disease or other illness.

Posted in Religion and culture

Kemetism

Modern faith communities that follow the religious beliefs and rituals of ancient Egypt; also called Egyptian neopaganism.

Posted in Other faiths

Mabon

The pagan celebration of the autumnal equinox.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

neotantra

A contemporary variation of the traditional Indian tantric traditions; often associated with New Religious Movements. Characterized by belief that sex can bring participants closer to the divine.

Posted in Religion and culture

New Religions studies

The academic discipline of studying New Religious Movements; draws from multiple academic fields, including psychology, history and sociology. See also: New Religious Movement.

Posted in Other faiths

New Thought

A metaphysical movement with origins in the 19th century, characterized broadly by interest in mental and spiritual health and healing.

Posted in Other faiths

reconstructionism

The reestablishment of historical pagan religions in the modern era.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

Rule of Three / Threefold Law

A tenet held by some Wiccan practitioners and other followers of the occult; states that whatever energy is put out into the world by a person, that energy will be returned to that person three times.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

sabbat

A gathering in Wiccan traditions for one of the eight major holy days; timed around the solar cycle. See also: esbat.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

Samhain

A pagan festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the winter. Believed to be Celtic pagan in origin, but increasingly observed by neopagans, Wiccans and other occult groups.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

shielding

A spiritual technique of building an energy field around oneself; believed to protect one’s energy from escaping while guarding the individual from external negative energy.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

smudging

A practice or ritual of burning certain plants, particularly herbs, to cleanse a space of negative energy.

Posted in Religion and culture

theosophy

Belief or philosophical systems that maintain that access to “divine wisdom” may be reached through mystical or spiritual experiences.

Posted in Other faiths

unbaptism

A ceremony or ritual performed to undo a baptism, whether originally done as a child or as an adult.

Posted in Religion and culture

Wheel of the Year

The cycle of seasonal holidays on the pagan calendar, largely based off of the solar calendar.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

Wiccan Rede

A document in the Wiccan faith that summarizes the faith’s moral system; influential to other occult faiths.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca

wyrd

Pagan Norse concept that corresponds to the idea of destiny or fate; an ancient term that has seen recent emergence in neopaganism, including contemporary Germanic neopaganism.

Posted in Paganism/Wicca