Any table or raised surface on which, during rituals and spell castings, candles and incense are burned, tools of magick are kept, and offerings of any kind are made to the Goddess and/or Horned God. The arrangement of altars varies from Witch to Witch and coven to coven; however, the usual items found on most Wiccan altars include candles, a pentacle, chalice, salt, incense, bell, athame, and a Goddess and/or Horned God symbol. Nearly any piece of furniture with a flat surface can be used as an altar, and with a little imagination, outdoor altars can easily be made out of such things as garden benches, tree stumps, and large stones with flat tops.
Amulet
A consecrated object (usually a small colored stone, or a piece of metal inscribed with runes or other magickal symbols) that possesses the power to draw love or good luck, among other things. Amulets are also used to protect against threatening influences, evil and misfortune.
Athame
A ritual knife with a double-edged blade, used by Witches and other practitioners of the magickal arts to cast magick circles and to store and direct energy during spells and rituals.
Bell
A hollow, metallic instrument which emits a tone when struck. Bells have been used by nearly all cultures throughout history as magickal talismans, fertility charms, summons to a deity, and as instruments for sacred music and religious rituals of widely varying beliefs. Many modern-day Witches use a consecrated bell as an altar tool to signal the beginning and/or close of a spell, ritual or Sabbat.
Besom
A straw broom used by Witches in certain Wiccan ceremonies such as handfasting and the Sabbat of Candlemas. Although the broom has always been associated with Witches, it was never actually used for flying. Instead, Witches practicing sympathetic magick would straddle the broom and jump up and down in order to show the crops how high to grow.
Binding
A magickal spell, often involving the tying of knots on a cord, and performed to control actions of another or to render a sorcerer or sorceress magickally powerless. Bindings are used by some Wiccans, usually for the purpose of preventing evil, negativity, or disaster of some kind and also to put an end to the harm caused by gossip, troublemakers and criminals. Interestingly, there exists a controversy among Wiccans over how ethical the casting of bindings are. Some Wiccans feel that such spells violate the Wiccan Rede, while others feel that they are perfectly acceptable when warranted, especially if the binding is directed at a situation rather than a specific person.
Bolline
A white handled knife with a sharp blade used by Witches to harvest sacred herbs, cut wooden wands, slice bread and carve magickal symbols onto candles and talismans.
Book of Shadows
A secret diary of magickal spells and potion recipes kept by an individual Witch or a coven. In certain Wiccan traditions, a Witch's book of shadows must be burned in the event of his or hers passing in order to protect the secrets of the craft.
