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DAGDYNE:
Witch's magickal sewing needle.

DAYS OF POWER:
see Sabbat.

DEATH:
reference to the cessation of life of the physical body - not of the Soul or Spirit, which continues in its journey through the Spirit Realm until finally to born again through REINCARNATION.

DEATH WATCH:
is the exercise of sitting with a 'dying' person as comforter or can be the ritual exercised to ease the soul 'over' into its new existence.

DEATH IN SERVICE; also termed RIGHTEOUS DEATH
meaning service to life; is the natural death such as from illness, old age, child birth, rescue attempts or self sacrifice to help another.

DEDICATION:
is like a solemn promise or vow, like dedicating yourself to Wicca before being actually initiated. Pledging yourself, would be a dedication.

DEGREES:
this varies among traditions as to recognition - but a DEGREE is a level of expertise recognized by a more adept person. Sometimes these are meaningless, self vanities but usually a 1st Degree person can work in rituals; 2nd Degree could lead the ritual under guidance of the High Priest or Priestess; and 3rd Degree can teach do initiations.

DEOSIL:
a clockwise circle, following the Sun and Moon's motion in the sky. It represents a building up of positive energy or the creation of energy; Opposite of Widdershins. The standard direction of movement within a ritual area or consecrated circle.

DIANIC TRADITION:

1. A feminine based craft movement, which rejects the concept of the Male God, concentrating on the worship of the Goddess. Named after Diana, virgin goddess of the hunt; a stem of the Old Religion which has all female members.
2. The Old Dianic Tradition. This a particular English tradition of Witchcraft honoring the Goddess Diana. It is a structured tradition and fairly similar to Gardnerian Wicca. Morgan McFarland, Mark Roberts, and Sybil Leek brought this tradition from England. It is called the Old Dianic tradition as opposed to the New Dianic tradition started by Z. Budapest.
3. The New Dianic Tradition is a particular tradition founded by Z. Budapest and other modern feminists. It has a loose ritual structure, a small core of feminist teachings, and encourages spontaneity among its members. Most covens accept women only, some accept only lesbians, a few accept women and men.
4. The original tradition of Shan, Clan Mother to the House of the Goddess in London, England. This tradition seems to have used a little of everything in it's formation, but primarily derives most of its teachings from the New Dianic Tradition. In the Dianic Tradition, there is much diversity in ritual and religious practice. Most covens honor the Goddess primarily or exclusively. Quite a few are Goddess Monotheistic.

DISTAFF:
ancient spinning implement. In archaic times, it was figuratively said that the Great Goddess spun the Earth and all things from Her distaff. In Nordic and Central European folklore, the line linking the axis of the Earth with the north star was called the distaff.

DIVINATION:
magickal method of looking into the future or the past or seeking unknown information through the use of various oracles.

1. the ritual process designed to contact the psychic mind.
2. the magickal act of dicovering the unknown.
3. the act (DIVINING) of contacting the psychic mind by tricking, or drowsing, the conscious mind through ritual observation of, or manipulation of, tools.
4. The art of connecting with the divine, or to see a situation from a 'divine' view.
5. Often inaccurately described as 'fortune telling'.
6. Divination is a way to emotionally detach from events in order to see them more clearly. In this way past, present, and future situations can be sorted out and dealt with from a more advantageous perspective.

*Tools of divination vary widely and can include:*
Tarot cards, Runes, tea leaves, palms, dice, playing cards, omens seen in natural forms such as birds, fire, water, crystal or glass spheres, clouds, patterns in sand, eggs, entrails, faces and scalp formations, wax, etc.

DIVINE POWER:
the source of Life Force or Life Energy, which exists in and from the God and Goddess through all planes of existence; Spirit.

DOLMEN:
an ancient structure of stone used as a burial space and considered to be a place of power.

DOWSER:
a person who is adept at locating something either lost or buried ; Water, Oil, precious metals, etc...

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON:
the channeling of Goddess Power into one's Self, especially during ritual. Physical changes such as voice pitch or aura brilliance can occur.

DRUIDISM:
one of the several religions which predominated in Gaul and the other Celtic countries from approximately 3000 B.C.E. to approximately 300 C.E. The emphasis was on worship or reverence for the Oak tree and the Mistletoe which grew thereon.

DRUID, NEW MOON:
six days following the astrological new moon.

DUALISM:
in theology, usually refers to the division of all things divine into two categories, female/male, positive/negative, light/dark, cold/hot, goddess/god.

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