Glossary
Words of the craft.
From Ætt to Yggdrasil. The vocabulary you'll hear in the circle.
- Ætt (pl. Ættir)
- A family of eight runes. The Elder Futhark has three: Freyr's, Heimdall's and Tyr's.
- Altar
- A dedicated surface for ritual and focus.
- Bindrune
- Two or more runes combined into one sigil.
- Black salt
- Salt mixed with ash or charcoal, used for banishing and protection.
- Blót
- A Norse sacrifice or offering ritual; today usually mead, food or drink.
- Casting
- Throwing or drawing runes for divination.
- Closed practice
- A tradition reserved for a culture or initiated members.
- Coffin nail
- An iron nail used in folk magic for binding and protection.
- Coven
- A group of witches who practice together.
- Deity
- A god or goddess.
- Elder Futhark
- The oldest runic alphabet, 24 runes, c. 150–800 CE.
- Familiar
- An animal or spirit companion of a witch.
- Futhark
- Name of the rune row, from its first six letters: F-U-Th-A-R-K.
- Galdr
- Chanting or singing runes for magic.
- Grimoire
- A witch's book of spells and notes.
- Heathenry
- Modern revival of pre-Christian Germanic religion.
- Hoodoo
- African American folk magic tradition (rootwork, conjure).
- Merkstave
- A rune drawn reversed or in a dark aspect.
- Moon phase
- The visible shape of the moon over its 29.5-day cycle.
- Norns
- The three beings who weave fate at Yggdrasil: Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld.
- Offering
- A gift given to a deity, spirit or ancestor.
- Rune poem
- Medieval poems describing each rune; key source for meanings.
- Salt circle
- A ring of salt cast for protection during ritual.
- Seiðr
- Norse trance magic associated with Freyja and Odin.
- Sigil
- A symbol charged with an intention.
- Vodou
- Haitian living religion serving the lwa through initiation.
- Ward
- A protective charm or barrier.
- Yggdrasil
- The world-tree connecting the nine realms.
The Sunday Pull
Your weekly rune, every Sunday.
One rune pull for the week ahead, a moon forecast, and a two-minute ritual. Free, forever.
