Words Related to Witchcraft and Wicca Quiz

Answer: Gerald Gardner

Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today" in 1954, bringing Wicca into the public eye. Interestingly, Gardner never actually uses the term "Wicca", instead using the term "witch-cult" or the "Cult of Witchcraft."

Answer: Divination

An example of divination that is fairly well known would be tarot cards. Wiccans often use decks of tarot cards with a wide variety of iconography to map out psychological and spiritual influences. Tarot cards use symbolic imagery from a shuffled deck to provide insights into a person's life and future.

Instead of predicting a fixed fate, they are said to act as an intuitive mirror for current situations. This process helps uncover hidden dynamics and guides future choices.

Answer: Runes/Runic

The letters themselves are referred to as 'runes', while the adjective describing them would be 'runic'. Runes were the actual alphabets used by Germanic and Norse peoples before they adopted the Latin alphabet. Wiccans formed a streamlined variation of this called the Witches' Runes.

Answer: Amulet

Amulets are typically worn as 'wards', used to deter or drive away something. For example, Wiccans will use amulets generally as a means to ground their own personal power, and ward away outside ethereal distractions or nuisance in doing so. To ground your power means stabilizing your mind and feelings in the physical world to maintain composure. An amulet serves as a perfect example of a ward because it acts as a concrete anchor that sharpens your focus and signals your personal limits to the people around you.

Answer: Ankh

The word Ankh literally translates to "life" or "breath of life" in Egyptian. It was worn by Egyptian Pharoahs to help ensure protection, good health in life, and an assured everlasting afterlife.

The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol that Wiccans have adopted to represent life, fertility, and the harmony of divine forces. Even though it started out in the land of the Pharaohs, today's pagans have given it a second home in their practice, using it as a handy tool for rituals, magic, and staying spiritually centered.

Answer: Banishing

A banishing involves a formal, complex ritual which is intended to drive away or deter some sort of ethereal force. Wiccans often use an athame, which is a small ritual blade, or a wand to direct the banishing energy, and a specialized broom to physically and energetically sweep away grime.

Answer: Book of Shadows

The specific phrase "Book of Shadows" was popularized in the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca. A Book of Shadows contains practical instructions like herbal remedies and moon phases, alongside deeply personal reflections on ritual outcomes and dreams.

Answer: Familiar

In both historical folklore and modern witchcraft traditions, a "familiar" is an animal companion that shares a deep spiritual bond with a practitioner. Rather than acting as a standard household pet, this creature serves as a guardian that shields its owner from negative energies and psychic harm. Furthermore, a familiar assists the practitioner during rituals by helping to focus intent and channel magical energy.

Answer: pentagram

Oriented so that there is a point on top, the pentagram represents the four elements surmounted by the spirit, and is considered a 'good' symbol of power. An inverted pentagram has come to be associated with some forms of Satanism, so some Wiccans prefer to refer to the upright pentagram as a pentacle. Pentacle is actually a more general term referring to a physical amulet, often in the shape of a pentagram inside a circle.

This star shape features a single point facing straight up, two side points extending outward and two angled bottom points.

Answer: Samhain

The word Samhain translates roughly to "summer's end" in Old Irish. Wiccan spirituality revolves around eight seasonal holidays called Sabbats. Samhain is the greatest of the four "Greater Sabbats" and represents the spiritual New Year for modern witches. Also known as Shadowfest, it is celebrated on the night between October 31 and November 1.