Reflections on the Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard: Preface

So, I wanted to begin with a disclaimer.  I’m a little biased towards this book.  It was my first introduction to Wizardry, having been completely ignorant of this path with the exception of the Harry Potter movies.  I remember hearing the author on Coast to Coast AM driving into work. I remember thinking to myself that I had no idea that this was any of this was a real thing.  Then, inevitably, the skepticism set in. I’ve been one to generally keep an open mind about things, not discounting something until I’ve heard it through.  As I listened to Master Oberon talk, I was amazed at how reasonable he was.  This reasonableness intrigued me, and so, I bought the book. My eyes had been opened to a brave new world, where magick is real and everywhere, and it’s all within a framework that is not so far fetched.

So, with all of that said, I want to tackle this book and reflect on some of the items I have read therein.  On my own path of wizardry, things have been very convoluted and a lot of patience has been required to persevere.  I wanted to share this part of my journey with you, and make my pitch to get the book.  It is very introductory, so for the advanced practitioners, it might not be your cup of tea.  Regardless, I believe it to be a fantastic book, one that every aspiring wizard ought to read! Let’s begin 🙂

At the beginning of the Preface the author gives us a quote from Willy Wonka:

We are the makers of magic. And we are the tellers of tales.

This is where my shift began.  Magickis something that we do, whether we know it or not. Like breathing, or the beating of our hearts, we do it, and don’t really think about it. Much of this, I have learned, comes from something that is in the base nature of our shared humanity. We commonly refer to this as intent.  We make magick by shaping our world with intent. It is one of the most powerful forms of magick out there. With intent, we bring about change. From one form to another we move, dancing across time, in the multiverse’s seemingly endless dance.  How do we do this? One tool that the author mentions right away is what he tells us differentiates a wizard from others:

The main difference between a Wizard and others

is that the Wizard knows the importance of stories and myths,

and seizes the power to tell the story in a way that shapes the future.

All Wizards are storytellers–and their stories tell us who we are,

where we came from and where we are going.

And this is how we use are intent…through storytelling. And I have heard the most wonderful stories in my journey so far, many demonstrating a particular point of view whose message has been lost in the current era.  These stories become our myths and legends, and they fulfill that timeless need for us to collect wisdom that is passed on to future generations.

From here, the author does something that he will do throughout the book.  He breaks into a series of stories, designed to teach the lesson of embarking on the journey of truth and discovery.  This has been my greatest adventure, being whisked away to these other worlds to learn the valuable lessons they have to teach us.  This is the role of the apprentice: to learn what must be learned so that when we are in the role of Wizard, we can send future apprentices out on their own paths of self-discovery.

Enjoy the stories, savor the lessons, and discover how truly magickal this grand multiverse of ours really is!

Yours on the Path,

~Lunas

Black Grimoire: DADA Rules for Seeing into the Darkness

These come to me from the Grey School of Wizardry Defense Against the Dark Arts 101 Class.  They are important to know in any study of the Dark Arts, and should be taken into account when practicing.

Black Grimoire: Demonology- Asmodeus and Astaroth

In a world where dualistic tendencies are apparent in our cultural indoctrination, it’s very difficult to approach a subject such as this without the usual biases that are associated with it. I grew up in a Roman Catholic family, equipped with all the prejudices and biases that such an upbringing provides. There was a necessary element of fear associated with discussions that concerned Demons, most notably because such things were deemed dangerous. More often than not, some third person anecdote, (I know this guy who messed around with “evil stuff…” or I know this priest who works with this sort of thing…”) was all the exposure I got to this but never really witnessed it firsthand.

Violet Grimoire: The Future of Cosmology

The Red Pill and the Future of Cosmology

“What is real? How do you define ‘real’? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” ~Morpheus (Quotes, 2016)

Violet Grimoire: Neptune

In second or third grade, I  developed an intense fascination with the planets, much the same way my children do now. I would stare up at the sky in wonder imagining traveling to these distant places, wondering how long it would take me to arrive at them.  I could picture Jupiter’s great red spot vividly, constantly doodling my favorite planets orbiting around the sun.  My interest was compounded further when the Voyager Spacecraft sent back images of these colossal gas giants.  It was in 1989 when the Voyager sent back images of Neptune complete with its own “great blue spot” (Loff, 2015),  offering its first

Indigo Grimoire: Druidry 201 Final

1. Take a look at the moon: Compare the moon circles with the weekdays and months. Are there differences each month between full moon and the first day of the month? Tell me your solution, to give the Celts a consistent calendar.

Indigo Grimoire: The Smithfield Decretals

In my researching of ancient manuscripts, I came across a real gem.  There was a story circulating in several of the British online news sources about a discovery that would make most Star Wars fans salivate (Telegraph, 2015). In a Medieval compilation of Decretals from the 14th century, Papal letters that are used to formulate Roman Catholic ecclesiastical law (Decretal, 2016),

Indigo Grimoire: Alphabets and Sigils

We were given an assignment to investigate magickal alphabets, and to create our own personal sigil.

For the first part:

Refer to the alphabets on page 145 of your Grimoire. Use one of them to write a coded translation of the school motto:

Everything is alive, everything is interconnected.

Green Grimoire Entry 11: Green Magick 102 Final Exam

Final Exam

1. Now that you have completed Green Magick 101 and 102, how has your understanding of green magick changed?

I have gained a much better understanding of elemental magick, something I was unfamiliar with when I started this class.

The Four Elements (Irene, 2015)

I am much more familiar with the Air Element also, trying to deepen my interactions with it to the point where it is intuitive. A significant portion of these assignments allowed me to be reflective on a very deep level, allowing me to make connections with the Great Spirit and Gaia that I had not previously made. It has turned the world into my temple, one epic circle that is constantly sharing its secrets with me.  I can feel the magick in the natural world, on a very intuitive level, something I had noticed slightly before, but now to a much greater extent.  I credit the learning in these two classes for this. 🙂

2. How do you see green magick as fitting into your own magickal practices? What new ideas have you come up with? What would you like to try?

It is part of what I do everyday.  I pay attention to the natural world, watch for its changes, see what’s happening now, and soak it all in. I love to watch for the changes in the seasons, the moving of the moon through its monthly cycle, rise and fall of the local rivers, the buds spring forth and flutter away in the breeze.

Cherry Blossom Petals in the Wind (Jeremyjuice, 2016)

I want to take this and develop an American Shinto, an indigenous practice that builds on how the Japanese see and work with the natural world, but in ways that make sense to my American background.  I want to develop microseasons like the Japanese have traditionally observed, but again, something that is distinctive of where I live and come from.  Like a pumpkin season in the Fall, or the first frost.  Maybe even the first planting, or a cherry blossom festival. It will all end up here in my journal 🙂

3. Talk about the process of creating and using your green grimoire. How has it helped you in studying green magick?

My green grimoire has been one of the most spectacular things I’ve done.  It allows me to be creative and express myself, while documenting my magickal adventures for reading in the future.  It gives me something to reflect on almost daily, a confidant, and a way to remember, many years from now.  I’m glad to have it!

4. Please share at least one entry from your green grimoire.

https://lunasfoxchild.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/green-grimoire-10-ash-cave/

This is about an adventure I had to Ash Cave, where I had my first experience of Misogi, a Japanese Shinto purification ritual!

5. Describe one spell, meditation, or other working that you carried out at your green altar.

I don’t really have a green altar, at least a permanent one.  I do make shift rituals in a very impromptu way.  I prefer the spontaneity of it, sometimes unruly like the natural world, sometimes very formal and ritualized, like things that have a beautiful symmetry or an underlying order to them.

Tree Spirits, Studio Ghibli Style (Martin, 2014)

In my meditations, I’ve worked on change, the cycle of life and death, spirits of the forests and rivers, or just simply taken it all in.  It’s a big dose of awesome and when coupled with a curious nature, makes for one extraordinary adventure.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  When I do finalize my altar, I will perform the microseasons like I previously stated.  Everyday will have me engage the spirits of nature, hopefully in a way that is unique as well as respectful and appreciative.

6. In terms of green magick, what would you like to learn or try next?

I’m going to continue to pursue the Eastern magicks and spiritual practices, particularly Shinto and Taoism.

Japanese Garden (Storrier, 2016)

My calling is to understand how these work, one very formal, and one very informal, two sides of how nature appears to us, organized and unorganized.  I want to develop an American version of Shinto, but first things first, and I want to really get my head into it so that I may better understand what they do.

 

Works Cited

Irene, Jeon. “Which of the Four Elements Represents You Most? (Based on Tarot Cards Reading).” <http://www.playbuzz.com/flareevangelineg10/which-among-the-four-elements-represents-you-the-most-based-on-tarot-cards-reading&gt;. 5 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Jul. 2016.

Jeremyjuice. “Cherry Blossoms Wind.” Photobucket. <http://s852.photobucket.com/user/Jeremyjuice/media/cherryblossoms.jpg.html&gt; 2016. Web. 11 Jul. 2016.

Martin, Ian. “A Deeper Look at Hayao Miyazaki’s Nature.” The Japan Times-Culture. 2 Aug. 2014. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

“Storrier Sterns Japanese Garden.” <http://www.japanesegardenpasadena.com/&gt;. 2016. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

 

Green Grimoire Entry 10: Ash Cave and Misogi

This weekend, my family and I went to Ash Cave at Hocking Hills State Park, in south eastern Ohio. It was our first trip to it and what a trip it was! That was one of the most powerful places I have ever been, full of that magickal feeling I get when I’m outside.  Here is an image of what we saw walking up:

Ash Cave Entrance

The huge overhanging archway was dwarfing to those of us there.  Graffiti, some going back a couple hundred years, lined the walls, while sand and powdery dirt insulated the ground.

On the edge of cave, a waterfall spilled over the edge.

Ash Cave Waterfall

It was glorious, and magickal.  I was reminded of what the Japanese do in the wintertime. There is a Shinto ritual called Misogi where a practitioner stands under a cold flowing waterfall to purify themselves.  This I did.

Performing Misogi

It was cold, and the constant pounding on my head began to hurt after a little while, but I did feel like a whole new person when I was done.  I managed to stand there for five minutes, focusing on my breath and feeling any impurity and uncleanliness wash away.  It was a spiritual experience to say the least, and I was grateful for the experience.  The spirits of the wood and cave smiled on me that day!