grey school newspaper 18

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS 2 SAMHAIN 2008

CONTENTSAdvisor’s Column ............................................ 3GSW News:House & Lodge Updates .................................... 4Club Updates ................................................. 5Magick Alley Update ...................................... 5GSW Conclave Updates ................................. 6Captains’ Updates ......................................... 7Other Updates ............................................. 8New Classes .............................................. 11-14I’m in a DADA State of Mind ....................... 9Devoted Defensors .................................... 10-11NEWSWiccan Support for Gay Marriage .................. 15Wiccan Wedding in Joburg ............................ 15The Ghost Stations ...................................... 16FEATURES & COLUMNSDeath Leads to Life? ....................................... 17Nocturnalism ................................................. 18The Lesson of the Fallen One (Poem) ............... 18 Unity of Dark & Light (Poem) ....................... 19Bloodbath: The Story of Elizabeth Bathory ... 21-21Reflecting Ill Intent (Poem) ............................ 21Ancient Runes Today: The Dark Stones ............. 22Little Miss Werewolf ...................................... 23Tarot: The Devil .......................................... 24The Monsters We Make .............................. 25The (Grave) Dirt on Zombies ......................... 26-27Conclave Poetry .............................................. 33FOODSamhain -- What’s for Dinner? ........................... 28Chili by the Moon ......................................... 29Homemade Pizza ............................................ 30The Midnight Snack ........................................ 31Pumpkins: A Bigger & Better Gourd ..................... 32REVIEWSA Life of Aleister Crowley ................................ 34A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine ......... 35An Ageless Love Story ................................... 35Underworld ................................................... 35GAMESCrossword Puzzle ....................................... 36-37

STAFFFaculty Advisors Moonwriter, Jymi X/0

Editor-In-Chief: Laneth

Publisher: Jymi Assistant Publisher: Laneth

Copy Editor: silverlocke

GSW: Starwynd Panther (Ed -- temp)

NEWS: Belenus (Ed)Sapphire Soleil, Silverlocke

SCIENCE: Jymi X/0 (Ed)Moonwriter, Pratus Ater-Lupus

OPINIONS: Sapphire Soleil (Ed)Areeya

ARTS & CULTURE: Starwynd Panther (Ed)Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk, silverlocke

WIZARDING: Laneth (Ed -- temp)Jymi X/0, Areeya, Skye

FOOD: Zombie Horde (Eds -- temp)Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk, Moonwriter, Pratus Ater-Lupus

ART: Areeya (Ed)Jymi X/0

ADVERTISING: Xyaida (Ed)

COVER: Another beautiful work from Areeya

CONTRIBUTORS: Crystalfire, Eruva, Felix, Gryphon Bardsong, JanicaJayne, Marruth, Mysty, Nicholas of the Cross, Stargazer, Talin, Tree Nymph

Whispering Grey MattersSAMHAIN 2008

Whispering Grey Matters is a quarterly newsletter produced by and for the students and faculty of The Grey School of Wizard-ry (www.greyschool.com). All contents herein are © 2008 Grey School, except where otherwise noted. Copyrights revert to orig-inal authors and artists upon publication.


Back when I was a surly teenager, I used to snatch up every magic book I could find that had “Black” or “Dark” in the title and demons cavorting across the cover. As I remember, these books always left me a little disappointed:

“Impress Your Friends and Worry Your Parents with Real Evil Dark Satan Magic Straight from Hell!” That sounds promising! What’s inside? Medieval recipes for herbal tea, perhaps with a dollop of gryphon’s gizzard, as a cure for the gout.

Yep, that’ll teach those school bullies a thing or two.

Much of the material in those antique grimoires hearkens from an age in which magic -- any magic -- was thought to be evil and blasphemous, a hellish power for which the aspiring mage must trade their very soul. (Certainly, some people still feel that way today.) Then, during the wide-eyed 1970s and 80s, when many of those books were re-released, pub-lishers knew that sticking a demon on the cover of something was a sure way to get the attention of us surly teenagers, as well as lots of free publicity from paranoid religious extremists.

In these more enlightened times, the definition of “Dark Arts” can still vary widely from Wizard to Wiz-ard. Some believe that all but the most selfless or necessary magical activity should be avoided. Others say that anything goes as long as you can justify it. Here at Grey School, the Department of Dark Arts covers a wide spectrum, and it’s not all “bad:” Low

Magic, which involves physical manipulation of magi-cal energies; Negative energy (such as curses) and how to counter its effects; the study of those beings traditionally labeled “monsters” (such as Vampires or Demons) and learning how to co-exist peacefully together; and a survey of various “Left Hand Path” beliefs and related topics.

My own Left Hand Path has meandered a bit through-out the years, but I never gave up on it. Somewhere beneath all that sensational imagery -- which I still love -- and silly marketing fluff, there lurks a quiet truth that resonates with me and feels like home.

Are there malicious people involved? Things to be afraid of? The possibility of real danger? Of course -- no more or less than can be found on other paths, including mainstream religions. You’ll also find com-passion, creativity and good fellowship here -- again, no more or less than anywhere else.

It’s always a good idea to do your research and be careful, no matter what you’re doing. But don’t let over-cautiousness and scare stories keep you from exploring and learning. Your conscience, instincts and common sense will help you know what’s right. Not paying attention to them is the most dangerous path of all.

And those school bullies? I finally have my revenge! 25 years later, as we’re all hitting our 40s, I simply refuse to cure their gout.

....mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!

Greetings from the Dark Side! -- Jymi X/0

Jymi X/0


House & Lodge Updates

Stones Lodge

As always, there are tons of things going on in the Cave we Stones call home. Right now, we have a few wonderful things running. We have our Stone of the Month, where we tell interesting facts about different stones and gems. This was started by Oranstar, our beloved, and missed, former Prefect. Get well Oranstar.We have just opened a new passage in the Lodge. This passage leads to the Meditation Chamber. I will not go into too many details about it (too many secrets), but I will tell you that it is a truly wonderful sight to behold.Silverraven will step down as Prefect of the Lodge on the Equinox. He will hand this title to a very capable person. Earthdrum, a level 3 student who has shown all the right qualities to take the reins. Watch out everyone, I think the Stones may be a force to be reckoned with next term. Speaking of Prefects, I'd like to take this opportunity to say congrats to the rest of the incoming Prefects. I'm sure everyone will do an excellent job. On one final note, I'd like to wish our beloved HM well. The ability to attend this school has changed many of our lives. I cannot even begin to imagine how many more we can touch. My energies and thoughts and prayers are with you HM. Return to us in good health, and good spirits.

Winds Lodge

This term has been bittersweet for the Winds. Our Head of Lodge, Professor Crow Dragontree, has left Grey School and we are deeply sorry to see him go. Yet, there is great joy amidst the sorrow. Our own Belenus has stepped into the position of Head and has been doing a wonderful job! The Winds are happy to have his insight and leadership.Continuing the celebration, we are happy to have our very own Mysty stepping up as Vice Captain, leaving the Prefect position to Starwynd Panther.The Winds have been earning Dean's List appointments and continuing to work on the Challenges that we see around the school. We are happy to have achieved Lumos this past term and are working dili-gently towards the next Lumos. We hope everyone enjoyed our Herb Map.The Spire's ghost, Isabella Honeysuckle, has awarded the first Faery Cup to NicholasoftheCross and it couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow.Last, but certainly not least, we are excited to announce that Dreamingmind is expecting and we send nothing but love and joy.

Flames Lodge

The Flames would like to welcome our new Prefect Sapphire Soleil! We're very excited to work with her and we know we're going to have a great term!We worked really hard to achieve the Lumos Award this last term and we had a lot of fun working on our Runes of the Dancing Flames.We would like to congratulate our fellow Flames that have been elected as officers of their clubs: Nydia, Crowz and Sage FireGazer. We know they'll all do a great job! Also to Dragons Light for being awarded Adult Student of the year!We've had several students make the Dean's List and we have been working hard on our studies. We also have students who are participating in our Academic Planning thread. We're setting our goals and achiev-ing them!

Waters Lodge

Serephina helped to create a visual directory for the members of the waters lodge. Pictures have been posted so that a face could be put with a name. Other members contributing their talents as graphic designers to the Lodge/House are UrbanFool and Scorpius.Dragonclaw is offering his talent for lodge rings. Members of the Waters Lodge participated in the schoolwide healing ritual for Headmaster Oberon. The Waters Lodge also did a Lodge-wide healing spell for those needing healing energies for medical issues and combined the two rituals into the same night. GryphonBardSong even found a way to participate from overseas. It was quite successful.The members of the waters lodge had fun creating a piece of lore that will become part of the Coterie of the Following Waters Lodge page. The Waters Lodge is also working on a project to choose a mascot for the lodge. After getting started, we have decided to have a mascot for each season of the year.Level 1 - New Members! Dragon Night Talon, Dragonclaw, Borkya,GryphonBardSong, Wealhtheow, Scorpius, Naelyan_Wyvern, Greyfalcon,Ariaeaufaye, Bran th' Blessed, Phedre, Drakonis RavenWing, CougarRain,Saint, SerceeDeans List! Aamber Phoenix Year 3, Arianrhod Level 1 & 2,Serephina Level 1, Onyx Raven Level 2 twice. SeaMantis Level 1.Members leveling up! Borkya, Roue will advance quite soon. Oakmyst almost to Level 4.Members Just in from Undines! PheonixSkywalker


Fellowship of Magickal Arts and Wizardly Crafts

After a short hibernation, the craft club has awakened! Between March 2008 and September 2008, the club added 16 new members. President Moon Snail started developing a craft book with the hope of sharing crafting projects and tips with the whole school. Several students worked on individual proj-ects. A few examples include Frogsdancing and her "Jar of Dirt", SeekingHawk and his gourd rattle, Xyaida and her altar cloth, Scenic Spring and her mojo bag, Shade and his Wizard's staff and Zamiel DragonHeart added sigils to his robes.

Election of the next club president is currently in progress. Presidential candidate Stargazer says the next six months should be quite exciting. He has plans for the club forum and says “Put on your hard hats, because it’s construction time!” Expect to see some new topics in the forums including crafting resources, inspirations, and a few new surprises. Several new members have expressed their enthu-siasm and have volunteered to get things moving. Be sure to stop by the club forum and be ready to work, because it’s crafting time!

GSW Club Updates

Healer’s Tea Room ~ Skye

Hello! It is the beginning of a new season, Autumn and with that comes chillier weather. It is the time of year when delicious brews of teas are welcome, and in some spots, necessary. We here in the HTR have begun our Autumn by electing a President, Vice President and a scribe, and are busy working on a few more offices for Specialists. So to Skye, Borkya and Magelet Gentlerains, Congratulations!

We are also looking forward to brewing up some new topics, as well as a possible school-wide project. We have had a few new faces join our ranks, and look forward to many more fellow healers joining us. We have even learned about a few new forms of Healing, thanks to our fellow member Gryphon Bard-Song, and are busily at work on our Samhain Edition of The Healing Thymes, with a special on Sam-hain-based herbs for our Herbal.

So if you’re fond of Healing Magicks, please don't be shy - come join us for a fresh home-grown brew of herbs of your choice, and join in one of the many conversations our members are having regarding Healing Magick.

Magick Alley Update

We are proud to announce that Xyaida has stepped up as the new Store Manager at Magick Al-ley! We are very sorry to see Kristalbrooke leave and hope all her future endeavors work out well for her. The Dragontree family will be missed.

We are currently working on getting the store ready for its Grand Re-Opening on Halloween 2008! We have books, patches, statuary, and other little goodies lined up. Hopefully, by the first of the year we should also have more of the required books for certain classes available via the school store as well!

Keep an eye out for monthly specials and those cool limited quantity items we will be stocking. Notices will be found in the Retail Grey Matters forum on the school site.

Any specific questions regarding the store should be directed to Xyaida at [email protected]. Also, International Orders (Outside the USA) will be handled via e-mail at this time as to ensure shipping is kept reasonable.


Southern Oregon Conclave 2008By Stargazer and Moonwriter

After nearly a year of planning, the Southern Oregon Conclave took place at Cape Blanco State Park in the beautiful, if somewhat wet, State of Oregon. Lasting a full week from Sunday, August 17 through Saturday, August 23, the Conclave kept attendees busy with classes, ritu-als, and fun campfire activities. Almost 30 people attended, including several from distant states. Our week-long event broke new ground in other ways as well. First, the 7-day schedule fur-nished lots of time for classes, campfires, hiking, and other activities. Second, each participant re-ceived a Conclave Fieldguide, a thick book holding the week’s schedule, curriculum, and journaling space. Third, we held a camp “giveaway—based on the Northwest Coastal Native American Potlatch—in which everyone brought a small gift for each of their fellow campers. Some gifts were quite simple and others more elaborate: we loved them all. The first half of the week saw cold, wet, and windy weather, including a "mini-hurricane" which did its best to rearrange the campsite. Valiant effort by PhoenixRising and DesertStorm, with help from Moonwriter, prevented further misery by salvaging flying canopies and setting up a dry space for eating and conducting classes. Fortunately, by Wednesday evening, the storm passed and the rest of the week was warm and sunny.

There were many highlights. Roue, with the help of Swirlsdancing, set up an entire candle mak-ing workshop. The entire group made a special healing candle for Headmaster Oberon. Flamekeeper taught the group how to form the perfect circle quickly and painlessly. Kalla taught a class on Choco-late Magick, with real samples for all to enjoy. Aaran taught a class on Harry Potter and Alchemy, com-plete with homework and final essay exam.

Moonwriter took a wild bunch down to the beach to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf. Xyaida and Cloudsgazer ran a magick market including books and sculptures by the Headmaster. The group sur-prised Treeotter with a cake and presents to celebrate her high school graduation and departure to college. Windstone demonstrated belly-dancing during our bardic circle. Rainmaker taught a class on chanting, which included a chant for raising energy in a circle. We used this chant during our final campfire in a ritual of healing for Oberon. Saturday in-cluded a lot of hugs and few tears as everyone went their separate ways. Friends forever, wherever we are. We had a great time and can’t wait for 2009. Next year’s Oregon Conclave is being run by Profs. Flamekeeper and Kalla. Watch the forums!

GSW Conclave Updates

NY Conclave 2008By Starwynd Panther

The New York Conclave was a wonderful four days organized by Xyaida and CloudsGazer with Professor Ellison as Wizard in Charge. We had the distinct honor of hosting the Headmaster and ben-efiting from his instruction. He was even able to share his Gaia Theory with a few of us.

There were attendees from every Lodge and an Undine, Tree Nymph, attended with her family. We had workshops on getting in touch with your land, learning Latin, the GSW Handbook explained, stargazing, and a fantastic elemental ritual lead by Ritualist PhoenixRising.

We even took time to refresh ourselves in the lake, although some of us had no choice in the matter (wet kitty!). Kitchen duties were shared by all with some tasty results. The campfire played host to much storytelling and entertainment, including poi juggling, which most tried and some dazzled us with their skills. Xyaida has promised to juggle fire next year. There are many promising adventures in the works for next year, so pay attention to the forums!

O Captain!My Captain!(Captain’s Updates)

JanicaJayne (Lodge Captain): I'd like thank Talin for his wonderful service as Captain. He was great to work with and has done an awesome job! I would also like to welcome Mysty as my Vice-Captain, and Crystalfire as Captain of the Houses. I know they will do an excellent job! I'd also like to welcome all the new Prefects! I hope all of you have a wonderful term! Congrats to the Waters and Undines on their

victories for Lodge and House Cup. Great job to all of you!

Mysty (Vice Captain): September 22, 2008. I start my Grey School day as I normally would. Check my email, then check the forums. I click the link to view all new posts, 8 pages! Wow, why am I seeing eight pages?!? Oh, yeah, that's right, my term as Vice Captain started today. I now have access to all 4 lodges. This is go-ing to take some time getting used to. I am very excited to be your Vice Captain. Janica and I are already working together to come up with some fun activity ideas. I am working closely with the Wind's Prefect Starwynd Panther to help him grow his lodge. I look forward to working with the other Prefect's and hope my insight and thoughts are helpful and fun.

Crystalfire (House Captain): My term as Captain is just beginning, so this update probably won’t be very long. I am overall thrilled to have been accepted as a Captain here at the Grey School, and I recognize that it is the highest places of honor (and responsibility and power) that a student can achieve. Some plans I have for my term are: getting my Captain Project (which you will all find out about soon!) up and running, participating with enthusiasm on the Forums, and encouraging all of the Houses to be very communicative and have a lot of fun this year! So far I want to thank all of the faculty and administration that have helped me to be a Captain, namely Prof. Ysabet and Prof. Sherwood, as well as the House of Undines for being probably the most active of all of the Houses thus far. Thanks, guys! I am also pleased to announce that the Cavern of the Gnomes is getting back into a communicative period (we underwent a long period of time where there was hardly anyone on the House Forum, and now I’m pleased that we are starting to come back!), which is deeply appreciated. In short, my Captain term is going smoothly so far, all of the Houses have been good at cooperating and replying to posts within their “Housepage(s)”, and I am ready to have a wonderful time being the next Youth Captain of the Grey School of Wizardry!

Talin (Lodge Captain Emeritus): This has been an exciting time at Grey School. We have reached some milestones and many changes have taken place. We have grown to over 1000 students. We have had our first graduating student. The lodge participation is at an all time high with all four lodges showing growth and many students taking advantage of the forums. During the Summer we experienced some slow down on the number of new students, but with the end of Summer approaching that should pick up. There is a strong marketing committee working towards bringing exposure to the school. With more students the school will grow in diversity and have more resources available to it. Another big change was the move to Phoenix. The new system is much more robust, easier to use, and delivers much more information in a logical format. It should serve the school well for some time to come. The foun-dations have been laid and laid well. Now all eyes are on growth in the future. The curriculum continues to grow, as does the staff of teachers. If there is one thing that most all Grey School students agree on, it is that the curriculum and content here is the best available. We are poised and ready for growth and I believe that the next six months should show some surprising amounts of people signing up. Here's to the future! Huzzah!



Other GSW UpdatesFaculty Updates:

Professor Crow & Kristalbrooke have left GSW for vary-ing reasons - we wish them and their family the best of times and look forward to the possibility of seeing them in our halls again.

Professor Belenus & Professor Jymi X/0 - we welcome two new instructors to the Faculty, as well as Belenus tak-ing over as the Lodge Head for the Winds Lodge, in place of Professor Crow.

Crystalfire - House Captain; L2; Mind Magicksjanicajayne - Lodge Captain; L2, LoreMysty - Lodge Vice-Captain; L2; Undeclared Major

Salamanders Prefect: Raistlin Loreseeker; L2; Undeclared Major

Flames Prefect: Sapphire Soleil; L3; Magickal PracticesStones Prefect: Earthdrum; L3; LoreWaters Prefect: Aamber Phoenix; L3; LoreWinds Prefect: Starwynd Panther; L2; Undeclared Major

New Scabbard:House Hat: Undines

Lodge Cup: Waters

Lumos: All Four Lodges

Ordo Erronum:New members tapped out at the New York Conclave, August 2008:Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk (Winds Lodge)Cloudsgazer (Stones Lodge)Starwynd Panther (Winds Lodge)

New members tapped out at the Oregon Conclave, August 2008:Prof. Flamekeeper (Stones Lodge)Prof. Roue (Waters Lodge) Guardians of Gaia:

Borkya; Waters Lodge (3 May 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Ocean's Eleven)) Completion of "Natural Mysteries."

Nydia; Flames Lodge (3 May 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Ocean's Eleven)) Completion of "The Elements."

Starwynd Panther; Winds Lodge (13 May 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Ocean's Eleven)) Completion of "The Elements."

Emrhys; Stones Lodge (27 May 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Sod Squad)) Completion of “Natural Mysteries”

Prof. Aaran Sherwood; Stones Lodge (27 May 2008) 2007 Earth Day Challenge (Tree Huggers)) Completion of “Woods Wizard 202.”

Aamber Phoenix; Waters Lodge (10 June 2008) 2007 Earth Day Challenge (Tree Huggers)) Completion of “Green Magick 101”

Snoopy Alchemist; Stones Lodge (25 June 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Sod Squad)) Completion of “Green Magick 101”

Silverraven; Stones Lodge (19 July 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Sod Squad)) Completion of “Green Magick 101”

Serephina; Waters Lodge (8 August 2008) 2008 Earth Day Challenge (Ocean’s Eleven)) Completion of “The Elements.”

Savior of Gaia:Moonwriter; Stones Lodge (22 April 2008) Wrote and conducted 2008 Earth Day Challenge Completion of "Nature's Fury: Air" and wrote "Preserving the Earth" Project: Maintained an organic, chemical free yard and herb garden for >1 years.


I'm in a DADA State of MindBy Starwynd Panther

I sought out the Dark Arts Dean in her office, finding it to be a peculiar hodgepodge. Certainly there are the sorts of accouterments one would expect for a Dark Arts Dean - the furniture, for example, speaks to a certain Edwardian Gothic sensibility - but then there are the fairies. I sat myself carefully among the dolls. Religious icons from many faiths litter the flat surfaces, along with old books, divina-tion tools, and skeins of yarn.

- ◊ -

Starwynd Panther (SWP): How would you define the Dark Arts?Dean Estara T’shirai (DET): At GSW, we include three categories under "Dark Arts." First is sorcery, or low magic. Second is the study of the "Creatures of the Night," and third is what I call Guardian-ship, which most people now call "Defense Against the Dark Arts." This makes us a very broad Depart-ment, and most of our instructors specialize in one or two of these categories rather than being equally involved in all three.

SWP: What made you first take an interest in the Dark Arts?DET: There's this thing that happens - it's a pattern I've seen a number of times. Young people with a lot of talent but very little instruction will read what little they can get, patch in the holes with things they like from fiction or whatever they can think up themselves, get together into little groups, and then magick themselves into heaps of trouble that those who get trained before the full extent of their talent wakes up usually avoid. Well, I started out as one of those young people. My friends and I did lots of really stupid things, got singed several times, learned from that. Got drawn into cleaning up messes caused by other people doing stupid things, or by other entities, and learned from that. Then I actually went and got myself some real training, and combined that with what I'd learned from the school of hard knocks.So my expertise is mostly in the sorcery and defense areas. I've spent most of my adult life studying and teaching those things.

SWP: Why do you think people are drawn to this Department and its subject matter?DET: Sorcery, because people are drawn to power. We just are - it's an evolutionary imperative to make yourself powerful, in one way or another, against things that want to take your stuff or eat you. Defense, because of the same thing, in a way - we worry about the things we can't control, about things that might hurt us, and we want to give ourselves some sort of leverage against those wor-ries. Interest in the Creatures has a bit of that too, but also something else. There's a sort of seductive quality to dark things for a lot of people, and I'm harder pressed to explain exactly what it is - it's like being asked why people go to horror movies. I can't really tell you why, but obviously they do.


SWP: Why do you think others shy away from this Department?DET: I can answer this best from the defense perspective, because I've spent a lot of time in the Pa-gan community being an apologist for "Defensors." It gives people the heebie-jeebies. They get very nervous about treating the possibility of harmful magick as being real. This includes many people who do accept that *helpful* magick is real, and it's always odd to me when people don't see the contradic-tion there. If we say that magick is real and that it is a neutral force, then it only follows naturally that it can be applied in both positive and negative ways - you can't just say that the positive ones work and the negative ones don't. And yet people do. And then, other people have worried about what ad-mitting that curses exist would do to our public image, or how many witchwars it would start (because as we all know, there aren't any witchwars now!), or what kind of power Defensors would wield in the community as a whole (because as we all know, the Pagan and magical communities are all about bow-ing down to outside authorities!).

SWP: How can we use the lessons learned in this Department in everyday life?DET: Sorcery teaches creativity and it's a place to distill what you learn in all the other Departments and make practical use of it. Creatures - well, I don't know how many of you are going to run into live werewolves of the standard definition, but there are, for example, real communities of certain types of "vampire," and were you to encounter that community, it would be good to know how to carry yourself. Some kinds of Creatures exist on a nonphysical level, and if you do shamanic styles of work, you may meet some of them. Otherwise, you can write good stories. Defense is good not only against things like curses, it teaches you how to deal with more mundane horrors like, oh, abusive personalities and pushy salesmen. A lot of the same principles apply. One of the cornerstones of DADA is learning how not to panic, and how to not overreact. That's good in any number of situations.

SWP: What are strengths of the Dark Arts? What are its weaknesses? How do the Dark Arts affect the other Departments?DET: I think Dark Arts is one of the Departments that people come into with the most romantic and overblown ideas of what we really do and what we are. You're not going to leave here being Buffy the Vampire Slayer or a Hogwarts-style Auror or anything like that. At least 90% of people who think they have been cursed or possessed really haven't. Once you get over that, I think that Dark Arts is really a distillation of all the other Departments. It's really omnivorous: every skill can feed into it, and it can be brought into every other field. In some ways, it's really more of a state of mind than a Department.

Devoted DefensorsBy Starwynd Panther

Wanting more information about the Defense Against the Dark Arts Department, I searched for the president of the DADA Club, NicholasoftheCross (NOTC). I waited for him at the DADA Office and as the clock struck midnight, the enthusiastic president swooped through in eagle form, trailing zombie slime. "Sorry," he apologized, "Debate with the Zombie Horde in the hall."

SWP: What is the ideological basis for the DADA Club?NOTC: DADA Club is for those who have experienced personally (or second-hand), or just want to be prepared against, the Dark Arts, and to provide sound, solid, ethical, and knowledgeable advice on how to go about putting up such defenses.

SWP: How did you first get interested in DADA?NOTC: Yay! Story time! I grew up in a Christian home and I can recall being in awe when I heard about "casting out demons." Throughout high school and college, I constantly researched everything I could about exorcisms, demonology, and topics of that nature. Back then, Harry Potter was becom-ing all the rave. I fell in love with the concept of Defense Against the Dark Arts and upon joining GSW, DADA Club was the first club that I jumped at.

SWP: How many members are there in DADA? NOTC: Currently, there are 123 Defensors listed in this club, covering the age spectrum and members from each House and Lodge!


Class Title: Conclave 102: Chants Department: Performance Magick Level: 1 Credits: 1 Teacher: Uta "Rainmaker" Stelson Estimated time for completion: to be completed during Conclave

SWP: What is a Defensor?NOTC: A Defensor, by definition, is a person who defends him/herself and others from unwanted, un-friendly and negative influences, whether they be spiritual, emotional, or even physical. The Defensor serves his/her community freely, protecting it from all negativity.

SWP: What are the current topics that you are discussing?NOTC: (smiles) Oh, you know... your typical children of the night and creatures of darkness...No, but seriously, we have topics that range from the difference and comparisons of creatures to were-wolves and the medical condition of lycanthropy, to vampires, to how to shield properly. We share each other's personal experiences as well as ethics and ethical behavior when faced with negativity.Vampires are currently one of the more popular topics I've seen popping up around the club. Luck-ily, we have very knowledgeable faculty who serve as advisors and who actually teach classes on such topics and can shed truth, wisdom, and rationality to these topics. Defense and protective practices are covered thoroughly in the club and is the primary aim of having the DADA club.

SWP: Are there any projects in the works?NOTC: There are no major projects going on as far as I know. We do, however, have challenges every now and then that we award points for.

SWP: What would you want to see happen with the DADA club in the upcoming year?NOTC: I would love to see the growth of numbers in this club. Thereby the exchange of information and experiences would greatly benefit everyone in the club.

SWP: Anything interesting you would like to add?NOTC: I have a couple points actually...First, everybody can be a Defensor. Just remember that you can join only one club per year level.Second, we hold officer elections every equinox and I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the new Defensor Amplus (President), Sage Firegazer and Defensor Secundus (Vice President), Crowz. I have every confidence that they will lead this club well!

... I hope this setting is sufficient for you.

New ClassesClass Title: Conclave 103: Building AltarsDepartment: Magickal Practice Level: 1 Credits: 1 Teacher: Uta "Rainmaker" StelsonEstimated time for completion: to be completed during Conclave

Class title: "Friendship 101" Department: Lifeways Level: 1 Credits: 3 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Safety Warnings: None.Estimated time for completion: 1 month.

Class Title: Foreign Language Credit: Spanish Department: Magickal Prac-ticesLevel: 1 Credits: 1 Teacher: Emily "Kalla" Carlin Estimated time for completion: about 1 week

Class Title: "Literature 203: Ar-row's Flight" Department: Mind Magicks Level: 2 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks.Required textbooks or materials: Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey. Prerequisites: "Literature 103: Ar-rows of the Queen."


Class Title: "Literature 306: Arrow's Fall"Department: Mind Magicks Level: 3 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks. Required textbooks or materials: Arrow"s Fall by Mercedes Lackey. Safety Warnings: None. Prerequisites: "Literature 103: Arrows of the Queen" and "Literature 203: Arrow's Flight."

Class Title: Conclave 301: EvolvingDepartment: Wizardry Level: 3+ Credits: 2 Instructor: Susan "Moonwriter" PeszneckerRequired texts and materials: None. To complete this class, you must be preparing to attend or must have attended your third of-ficial Grey School Conclave within the last 6 months. Completion time: One Conclave plus the time to register for this class and respond to the assignments. Prerequisites: "Conclave 101" and "Conclave 201." Safety considerations: Conclave is an outdoor experience; safety guidelines pertaining to outdoor activities are relevant and should be observed.

Class Title: Walking for WizardsDepartment: Healing Year: 3 Credits: 3 Instructor: Prof. Moonwriter Required texts and materials: The Gri-moire for the Apprentice Wizard and the Companion for the Apprentice Wizard. You will need a way to track and journal your progress. You should have a good pair of athletic-style walking shoes and a set of clothes suitable for walking in your area in varied weather. You'll need a way to weigh yourself at the start and end of the class. Make sure to begin at a time of year when you can walk outdoors in comfort and safety. Completion time: 1-2 mos. Safety considerations: The student must be physically capable of walking for up to sixty minutes at a time. Anyone with any sort of chronic or active medical condition shouldn't sign up for this class without the approval of their physician. Youth students should also have their parents' approval. Those who are out of shape, sedentary, over age 40, or don't exercise regularly should get medical clearance before beginning.

New Classes (Cont)

Class title: Garbageology Department: Nature Studies Level: 3 Credits: 3 Teacher: Uta "Rainmaker" Stelson Required textbooks or materials: Two garbage can liners for each garbage can in your house A few paper bags to collect recycla-blesA bathroom or kitchen scale A journal for recording (does not need to be your Wizard's Journal) Materials for your final project, depending on the project you choose Estimated time for completion: about one monthSafety Warnings: Caution should be used when handling garbage. Wear gloves and safety glasses, watch out for sharp objects, and thoroughly wash your hands after handling garbage.


Class Title: "Literature 707: Scout's Progress"Department: Mathemagicks Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks. Required textbooks or materials: Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller.Safety Warnings: Part of the plot ten-sion in Scout's Progress derives from a background of sibling and spousal abuse. Students with issues relating to these types of family dysfunction may find the novel and some Class discussions uncomfortable, and thus may prefer a different Literature Class.

Class Title: Magickal Dances Department: Magickal Practice Level: 5 Credits: 2 Professor: Uta "Rainmaker" StelsonRequired textbooks or materials: Appro-priate clothes and shoes for your chosen styles of dances. Estimated time for completion: about 2 - 3 weeks Safety Warnings: Always stretch out before dancing or any other strenuous activity. If you have health problems that might make dancing risky for you, then you should consult your regu-lar health care provider before enroll-ing in this Class.

Class Title: Natural Wonders 503: Caves and Caverns Department: Nature Studies Level: 5 Credits: 3 Professor: Uta "Rainmaker" Stel-sonEstimated time for completion: about 2 - 3 weeks Safety Warnings: Do NOT explore any unknown caves and explore any known caves only with ex-pert guidance.

Class Title: Ritual Magick OutdoorsDepartment: Ceremonial Magick Credits: 3 Level: 5 Instructor: MoonwriterRequired texts and materials: Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard and Companion for the Apprentice Wizard by Zell-Ravenheart. As part of this class, you will plan and carry out an outdoor ritual at a site away from your home, and with the involvement of at least one other person. Completeable in: 1-2 months Prerequisites: "About Rituals" (L1, Ceremo-nial Magick) is required. "Conducting a Ritual" (L4, Ceremonial Magick) is recom-mended, but not required. Safety considerations: Youth apprentices should not venture into the outdoors with-out the support of a parent; in truth, it's best that no one of any age venture out without at least one other person. Some of the material in this class mentions hiking, work around bodies of water, work in high (elevated) settings, and the use of bladed tools and open fire. Guidelines are given in the lesson, and each "user" is responsible for his or her safety. The Grey School and its staff and faculty bear no responsibility for mishaps related to activities performed as part of this class.

(Cont) New Classes (Cont)

Class title: "Gardening 602: Compost"Department: Wortcunning Level: 6 Credits: 3 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time for completion: 1-3 monthsSafety Warnings: Some compost methods require a substantial amount of physical activity and/or the use of large garden tools. Use common sense and take care of yourself. Youth students will benefit from parental supervision for some compost methods. Anyone with an allergy to mold or pollen might not be comfortable working with compost. A filter mask or a filtered bucket may help protect against allergens. When working with decompos-ing materials, it's a good idea to wear gloves and/or to wash your hands after working with compost. Required textbooks or materials: Students will need access to some botanical waste for composting (kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, etc.) plus suitable tools, container(s), and space for their chosen method of composing. Gloves are recommend-ed for all activities involving compost materials. A camera and a means of transmitting pictures are also required.


Class Title: "Literature 711: The Sharing Knife Passage" Department: Mind Magicks Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks. Required textbooks or materials: The Sharing Knife: Pas-sage by Lois McMaster Bujold. Safety Warnings: The featured novel contains some moderate descriptions of amorous activities, some grue-some behavior on the part of river pirates, and some heavy-duty ethical dilemmas regarding the use of Mind Magicks. Readers with delicate sensibilities might prefer a different book and class. Prerequisites: "Literature 704: The Sharing Knife Be-guilement" and "Literature 710: The Sharing Knife: Legacy."

Class Title: "Literature 706: Path of Fate"Department: Healing Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks.Required textbooks or materials: Path of Fate by Diana Pharaoh Francis.

Class Title: "Literature 708: Cosmic Tales"Department: Cosmology & Metaphysics Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks. Required textbooks or materials: Cosmic Tales: Adventures in Sol System edited by T.K.F. Weisskopf.

(Cont)

Class Title: "Literature 709: Newton's Cannon" Department: Alchemy & Magickal Sciences Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks.Required textbooks or materials: Newton's Can-non: Book One of the Age of Unreason by J. Gregory Keyes.Safety Warnings: This novel uses the symbolic as-pects of alchemy to imagine an alternate history heavy with magical sciences. As such it delves into some intense psychological territory and political intrigue, topics intended for mature readers. Some students may not be comfortable with the subject matter.Prerequisites: "Principles of Alchemy."

Class Title: "Literature 710: The Sharing Knife Legacy" Department: Mind Magicks Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks.Required textbooks or materials: The Sharing Knife: Legacy by Lois Mc-Master Bujold. Safety Warnings: This book con-tains some moderately detailed descriptions of amorous activities, a lot of intensely detailed family dysfunction, and a short but very nasty malice war. It's intended for mature audiences; readers with delicate sensibilities might prefer a different book and class. Prerequisites: "Literature 704: The Sharing Knife Beguilement."

Class Title: "Deryni Magic 701" Department: Ceremonial Magick Level: 7 Credits: 2 Teacher: Elizabeth Barrette Estimated time of completion: Two to four weeks. Required textbooks or materials: Deryni Magic by Katherine Kurtz. Safety Warnings: The class text deals in serious topics and sophisticated mag-ical analysis; it is intended for mature students. The Deryni series features magic inspired by Christian religion, and much of the plot tension derives from racial strife and oppression. Some students may find this class material uncomfortable and may prefer a dif-ferent class. Prerequisites: All previous classes in the Deryni Literature Course.

New Classes (Cont)


National Wiccan Organization Supports Gay and Lesbian MarriageBy Belenus

The Covenant of the Goddess (COG), a National Organi-zation of Wiccan Congregations, offered support of Gay and Lesbian marriages in California and Massachusetts in a statement released in September 2008. (1)

States Elder Priestess, Lisa Morgenstern, a National Public Information Officer for Covenant of the Goddess, “Marriage today is one way that two people can imme-diately become next of kin, and in today’s society with national privacy act issues, it is even more important for everyone in a loving committed relationship to have this right.”

Traditionally Pagan religions supported same gender marriages. In Roman and Greek times, when the major-ity of persons in Europe were Pagan, same gender mar-riages were a legal option. (2)

A spokesperson for the COG states, “While we respect the right of individual clergy within COG who may choose not to perform such a ceremony, we are in support of marriage between two committed adults of any gender, and a majority of our celebrants are willing to perform such ceremonies.”

In the November Presidential election this year, the issue of same gender marriage is on the ballot in California. Proposition 8 will allow voters to ban or uphold same gender marriage rights in their state. (3)

Sources:

1.COG Press Release. http://www.cog.org/press.html September 2008.

2.Topix. http://www.topix.com/news/gay/2008/08/ca-ballot-summary-on-gay-marriage-ban-ok-d August 9, 2008.

Possibly the first legal Wiccan marriage in South Africa took place in Johannesburg on Thursday night the 9th of October, 2008 when JJ Jacobs married Michele Roux in a Wiccan hand fasting ceremony.

Officiating were High Priestess Sandra Shirlow with the Wiccan name of Tora and High Priest Glen Muller known as Shadow Dancer who had just the week before acquired his papers and licenses from the Home Affairs office conferring on him the title of Marriage Officer and allowing him to legally preside over such civil ceremo-nies.

The afficianced couple had decided only the previous Tuesday to get married, so there was somewhat of a rush and a scramble to prepare. High Priestess Tora used an athame to create a sacred circle in the garden and both the bride and groom were clothed in black and barefoot—their hands tied together with ribbon.

High Priest Shadow Dancer admitted that be-cause of the short notice and the fact it was his first ceremony to create and bless a legal mar-riage, he was somewhat nervous—he wanted to make sure he got the words just right.

Tora and Shadow Dancer evoked the Earth Mother and Father Sky, the dual deities that some Wiccans worship. At the end of the cer-emony came the words that made it legal in the eyes of the state: “Do you Michele declare that as far you know there is no lawful impediment to your proposed marriage with JJ here pres-ent?”

At the end of the ceremony there were the more traditional “I do’s” and a long kiss.

Works Cited“Bare-foot and in black”. Independent Online: The Star. 13 Oct 2008. < http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=vn20081013054903457C488898>.

Wiccan Wedding in JoburgBy silverlocke


The Ghost Stations—Strange doings in the London Underground By Sapphire Soleil

The London Underground with its dark, noisy tunnels and over 150 years of history is the perfect place for stories of ghosts and ghouls. In fact there are two varieties of “ghosts” haunting the Tube and one of them can be seen by anyone who keeps an eye out the train window as the car zooms through the dark tunnels--the ghost stations.

The Tube was opened in 1843 and in the time since the city planners have tried hard to make it the most efficient mode of transportation in the city. If a sta-tion is not being utilized properly, it will be shut down and sometimes without much in the way of demoli-tion. A gate is closed, a door is blocked up and that’s that. Active trains still pass through many of these stations allowing passengers a momentary peek at the past. At one time there was a station between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn station on the Tube’s central line and it is still there, but no one has gotten on or off at the British Museum station since 1932.

Bits of history can still be seen in these stations. The ghost station at Brompton Road still shows signs of its part in protecting Britain during World War II. The quick observer can still see maps from the 1940’s hanging on the walls from when the station was used as an anti-aircraft command center.

Some of the ghost stations also claim to have the other variety of ghosts. The fluffers – workers who clean the tunnels of the dust and debris that clings to the walls of the Tube—report sighting a human figure walking the tracks near the Aldwych ghost station. Supposedly, it is the ghost of a young actress who used to tread the boards at the Royal Strand Theatre which was demolished to make way for Aldwych sta-tion.

Many stations, both ghost stations and active ones report strange happenings, especially at night when the trains have stopped. Some can be explained by simple tricks of the mind in an underground cav-ern, but other grisly discoveries are no mind-trick or specters, but very real, physical horrors.

In the 1960’s the Victoria line was being dug under central London. Unfortunately for the crew running the tunnel drill, they plowed directly into a plague pit. During the 17th century when the Black Plague ravished all of Europe, so many people died so quick-ly that there was no time to bury them all individu-ally, so huge mass graves were dug and the victims buried together in plague pits.

In a city as large and old as London, strange things can be seen on practically every street corner, wheth-

er it be the royal ghosts haunting the Tower, ghostly trains still running on long abandoned tracks of the Tube, or remnants of a war over 60 years past that proved to be its finest hour. It is a city not to be missed.

Sources:London Under London by Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman, 1993Website Underground History http://underground-history.co.uk/front.php by Hywel Williams

Areeya


Death leads to Life?By Areeya

Participating in and observing the Alchemical Fire Cir-cle, it seems death leads to life. Hmmm... let’s take a look. Traditional Alchemy has loosely been described as the transmutation of common metals into gold. What about the spiritual and psychological side of Alchemy? Could not the seven stages of Alchemy possibly be a road map from death to life? A system of self devel-opment to transmute the darkness of fear into light and infinite love of spiritual gold?

Out in the Midwest desert, there lives and breathes another Alchemical container of transmutation--The Alchemical Fire Circle. A Shamanic journey from rit-ual death to life it would appear. I have watched in wonder, folks from all walks of life venture to give everything to the fire. To die? Yes, in the sense of spiritual dissolution through the shamanic tradition of altering ones state of consciousness. Imagine a chaotic fusion of people coming together to dance, drum, and chant energetically around a fire--heat-ing themselves up, and experiencing release through physical and mental exertion. Breaking down the ego and whatever is leaden in the Self. Seems like a death to me.

Death in calcinations, release in dissolution, and the separation of ego from the self. This phase is commonly referred to as Nigredo--the blackening of burning away and dissolving.

The next phase referred to is Albedo, when the dancing becomes more graceful. The drums, songs, and chants are softer in feel during this whitening process. It seems like a time when the Ego and Self are in Conjunction, the fermentation of separating the subtle from the gross. Understanding seems to ring true through distillation. One feels refined and better able to rec-ognize the truth in the Albedo phase.

The final stage is life from what began as death. Ru-bedo. In Coagulation do we connect--As above, so below. In spiritual gold are we reborn into a higher Self. Re-integrating with the community with a new perception. A deeper understanding of Self. Aware in the continuous circle of life, we die and are reborn, again and again, in our journey of the Inner and Out-er Mysteries of this wondrous Multiverse.

And so in my experience it does indeed appear that life comes through death in the Alchemical Fire circle. Hmmm.... So I ask you--should we still be afraid of the dark? But that is just this writer’s opinion. What do you think?

For more information on the Alchemical Fire Ritual check out vegasvortex.com

Areeya


What do owls, deer, and kangaroo rats have in common? Besides being soft and fuzzy? They’re nocturnal: creatures of the night.

The word “nocturnal” comes from the Latin nox or noct, “night,” and nocturnalis, “of the night.” For most living creatures, the normal sleep-wake cycle coincides with the Sun: when the Sun is up, a majority of creatures are awake, and when the Sun sets and night falls, most of them sleep. This Sun-based cycle is described by the word “diur-nal,” from the Latin diurnus, “daily.” For the bulk of Earth’s denizens, a diurnal cycle makes sense. We’re up and about during the day when tempera-tures are warm and we can see to hunt for food and carry out life-essential activities. Likewise, we sleep at night, when temperatures drop and avail-able light fails.

When a human or animal flips this cycle around—sleeping by day and being active through the night—we call them nocturnal. For non-human animals, nocturnalism is inborn and related to sur-vival. For example, desert animals are often noc-turnal as a means of adapting to an environment that is intolerably hot during the day. Sleeping by day and being active at night allows them to avoid the Sun’s heat and conserve valuable water. Many animals use nocturnalism as a means of avoiding predation; deer and rodents typically feed at twi-light and through the night, when many predators are less active. Some predators take advantage of this; the owl is known for being a nocturnal hunter, capitalizing on those rodents that are active after dark. Bats swarm from their caves at sundown, flying through the night to scoop up insects.

Nocturnal creatures typically show specific adap-tive changes. They may have extraordinary night vision with large, highly developed eyes, or might have large ears and hyper-acute hearing. Bats maneuver through the darkness with echoloca-tion, a natural sonar that allows them to fly at high speeds without hitting anything, and to iden-tify and snap up prey.

For humans, nocturnalism doesn’t occur naturally but represents a lifestyle alteration. Many people feel that they are more alert and function better at night; when combined with an active late-night lifestyle or a job that keeps them up through the wee hours, their diurnal hormone levels may shift until they are more or less nocturnal, both behav-iorally and physiologically. We call these people “night owls,” in honor of their kinship with their feathered nocturnal kin.

The Lesson of the Fallen OneBy Gryphon Bardsong

It was a time of great oppression all throughout the land Those in seats of power would not even raise a hand Drakar saw this injustice and vowed to take a stand He summoned Angels to his side and made his demand The Angels listened to his plan but forcefully declined They begged him not continue, saying he was blind Drakar then summoned demons, broke them to his will On the night of Samhain, his bidding they did fulfill He bade them cross the land and bring peace to Earth The demons rushed to comply laughing with much mirth Only then did Drakar realize what he had just begun Within a few moments all of life on Earth was gone “No” he cried “This isn’t how it was supposed to be!” Tears of sorrow fell as the demons howled with glee He called upon the Angels who sent the demons away And they agreed to set things right but Drakar had to pay They stripped him of his mortal shell and put him in the skies And each time a life is lost he bears witness and he cries So think upon the consequence before each spell you cast Or just like the Fallen One, it may well be your last “Who will mourn when you pass on Who will mourn when life is done Who will mourn when we are gone Forever mourns the Fallen One”

NocturnalismBy Prof. Moonwriter


Unity of Dark and Lightby Gryphon Bardsong

Gather forth your Shadow self Who is buried deep inside Epitome of all you loath That which you try to hide No longer keep it locked away Fighting for its release Nay, confront your darker self And make with it your peace

For in denying its dark desires You aid it in its quest For it grows stronger as you fight And the beast will never rest There’s power in the unity Between the dark and light Use this untapped energy To increase your magick might

Even that which live in black Can be used for good intent Appease your inner Shadow self Yet let your moral be not bent Explore the shades of grey within And soon you’re sure to find A way to please your inner beast Yet keep your peace of mind

The Lesson of the Fallen OneBy Gryphon Bardsong

It was a time of great oppression all throughout the land Those in seats of power would not even raise a hand Drakar saw this injustice and vowed to take a stand He summoned Angels to his side and made his demand The Angels listened to his plan but forcefully declined They begged him not continue, saying he was blind Drakar then summoned demons, broke them to his will On the night of Samhain, his bidding they did fulfill He bade them cross the land and bring peace to Earth The demons rushed to comply laughing with much mirth Only then did Drakar realize what he had just begun Within a few moments all of life on Earth was gone “No” he cried “This isn’t how it was supposed to be!” Tears of sorrow fell as the demons howled with glee He called upon the Angels who sent the demons away And they agreed to set things right but Drakar had to pay They stripped him of his mortal shell and put him in the skies And each time a life is lost he bears witness and he cries So think upon the consequence before each spell you cast Or just like the Fallen One, it may well be your last “Who will mourn when you pass on Who will mourn when life is done Who will mourn when we are gone Forever mourns the Fallen One”

Areeya

Jymi X/0


BLOODBATH::The Story Of

Elizabeth Bathoryby Skye

When I first decided to write an article about the notorious Elizabeth Bathory, I honestly didn’t know much about her. I knew she was known as the “First Vampire” or the “original vampire” and had heard some twisted stories about her activities, but had never really taken an interest. I decided the angle to write would be the closest to the truth as possible. Just the facts. The intent here is to give the facts of her story, verified by several sources, and to try to separate fact from fiction.

Some feel she was a victim of political motivation and conspiracy, while others think she was perhaps insane. I have seen some posts about this subject on the GSW forums that seem to have hit the nail on the head: “She was a deluded blood fetishist and socio-path’ (Professor Felidae) and “Not the first Vampire in a mythological or modern sense, She was the first documented serial killer.” (Tau Peristera)

Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560 in Hungary to a well-renowned, wealthy and powerful Protestant family who were known as key defend-ers of Hungary from the Ottoman Turks. Her father was George, who had a brother who was royalty in Transylvania and her mother was Anna, whose uncle was Stefan Bathory, the King of Poland. As a child Elizabeth suffered from severe seizures which lead to a loss of control and fits of rage. It is said she was a beautiful girl, slender and tall, with delicate features, but that her personality left a lot to be desired. She was well educated as well as fluent in both speaking and writing four languages. She was especially inter-ested in Science and Astronomy.

She was promised to Ferenc Nadasdy and at age 11 was moved to the Nadasdy castle. It is said she got pregnant by a peasant lover and quietly kept out of sight until she gave birth to a daughter who was then adopted by a peasant couple. She then wed Nadasdy in 1575 and was given Cachtice Castle as a wed-ding present by her husband. He was the Chief Com-mander of the Hungarian troops and was away in battle most of the time. Elizabeth was the one who managed her husband’s business affairs as well as the estate. She also had the difficult job of defending her husband’s estates, which was no small task. Her husband died in 1604 from injuries sustained from battle, although there are reports that he died from

a stab wound from an unpaid prostitute he had been with. She spent a lot of time alone since Ferenc spent a lot of time away, but she kept busy, as rumors say she kept company with sorcerers, seers, alchemists, witches, and even ‘those in league with the devil’.

I have heard of two different stories about her per-sonality. Some say she was sympathetic to women and their plight and spoke on behalf of many women who she felt she needed to help, while others say she was heartless and brutal. Some reports say she would make needless rules that she knew would be broken just to inflict harsh punishment and enjoyed being the one to inflict pain. It has been said that her husband, who was schooled in the art of torture, is the one who showed her new and brutal techniques of torturing , but that is not truly known as a fact. It is not known when exactly Elizabeth started her murderous spree, but it is believed it started around 1602 and lasted until 1610. The events leading up to her murderous spree are also unclear, but a wit-ness in her co-conspirators trial said Elizabeth struck one of her servants across the face for a punishment and accidentally cut her with her fingernails, caus-ing a scratch. The blood from the servant girl landed on Elizabeth and she believed that the spot where the blood was on her skin was younger, brighter and younger looking after she wiped it off. She believed she had discovered a youth serum: blood. She con-vinced herself that if a little bit of blood could do such good, that a lot of blood would be better.

She used young servant girls who were lured to the castle with high wages. She was said to bathe in the fresh blood of young virgins and even drank the blood of pretty ones. She was said to chain her victims, up-side down and naked, above a bathtub where they

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had their throats slashed and their blood was drained into the bathtub. Elizabeth then bathed in the blood right away. She was said to have even given the girls a proper burial, until the priest performing the buri-als got suspicious and refused.

Then the bodies of servant girls began to be discov-ered in open places, such as a field or on the road to the castle. This continued for about 5 years until she convinced herself that peasants’ blood was no longer working and focused her attention on the daughters of nobles who came to the castle to be schooled in the lessons of social etiquette. It is said that an in-tended victim -- the daughter of a noble -- escaped, and told her story of the brutalities within the castle walls. This lead to an inquiry the subsequent arrest of Elizabeth.

There are various reports of the death total: from 50 to as many as 650 or more women who were murded. In fact, the day Elizabeth was arrested in her castle, they found one dead girl as well as sev-eral locked up who were wounded, and one dying. It is believed the killings were not only in Cachtice castle, but on several other estates she owned as well as in Castle Sarvar, Bratislava and Vienna. There was said to be a book, written by Elizabeth herself, that had the names of over 650 women who were murdered. Elizabeth never proclaimed her innocence or her guilt.

The King wanted her to be executed, but was talked out of it due to the fact she was royalty and the family wanted to avoid disgrace and public scandal. It was also felt that if she was given an execution, it would cast a negative light on the nobility. It was decided that she would go to a nunnery, but once the truth came out about her turning on nobles’ daugh-ters, she was arrested and charged with 80 murders. She never did go to trial, but her co-defendedants did. Two were thrown into a fire and one was be-headed and then thrown into the fire. The final one, who was said to have committed the fewest atroci-ties, was sentenced to life in prison. Elizabeth never went to their trials, and was also sentenced to life in a walled-up room, with a hole big enough to fit a tray for food. She was there for four years, until she was found dead on August 21, 1614. The exact date she died is not certain since there were a few trays in which the food was not touched.

She was buried in the graveyard at the Church of Cachtice, but due to the objections of the town, she was moved to her family’s crypt at Nagyecsted in Hungary. Her diary can be found at the state archives in Budapest, but it is very hard to read due to the material of the book, the old language, handwriting and the content. There is also a transcript of her co-conspirators’ trials in the archives. For over a century Elizabeth Bathory’s records were sealed, and the her name was forbidden to be spoken in Hungary.

Works Cited:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bathory http://www.abacom.com/~jkrause/bathory.html http://bathory.org/shyla.html http://www.weird-encyclopedia.com/Bathory-Eliza-beth.php

** Editor’s note: Some of the material presented in this article is conjecture and does not necessarily represent actual events, or the opinions of all staff at Whispering Grey Matters.

Reflecting Ill Intentby Gryphon Bardsong I stand in a bubble of auric field With Will I harden it into a shield With mirror in hand I turn about My shield’s now mirrored, facing out This egg of defense will send back All form of negative magick attack And any who try to cause me ill Shall fall victim to their own will

Jymi X/0


Ancient Runes Today: The Dark Stones

By Areeya

Magick practitioners have been using rune stones to access alternate levels of consciousness through the ages. Though I use my runes, at times, as a divination tool, their possible uses are endless.

I work more extensively with the staves through Meditation. Meditating on the runes seems to deepen my self development of the inner Mysteries. The dark mysteries, as well as, the light. There are three runes that I have found very helpful when I journey through the darker aspects of the psyche and the soul. Many positive lessons can be experienced through what I sometimes refer to the “Dark Stones.”

I feel Hagalaz, Thurisaz, and Nauthiz, ask us to take a look into the darker nature of our fear, anger, and need. Those darker emotions can be explored and transformed into deeper under-standing.

The stave Thurisaz traditionally means Giant. Thurisaz is also a very ancient name for Thor. Meditation or any other work using Thuri-saz should be undertaken with extreme care. Misuse can have dire consequences.

Though the Thorn’s energy is neutral, it is explosive and indiscrimi-nate in nature. Meditation of Thurisaz can teach us to respect and acknowledge our anger with care so that the anger’s shadow may transform into a positive reservoir of energy.

The stave Hagalaz traditionally means hail. The stormy nature of Hagalaz has always seemed like a dark energy to me. Daily meditation on Hagalaz can be very helpful when one feels amidst a storm or immersed in destruc-tive confusion. Meditation can bring one to recognize the cleansing power of Hagalaz and enhance ones ability to purify and clean out the unneces-sary and provide room to grow.

Lastly, we come to the rune Nauthiz. Traditionally it means need. Med-itation on the rune Nauthiz can help one recognize and honor the fear that can stalk one when confronted by some necessity of the Self, so that you can move forward. Meditation can shed light and understanding on what might seem to be the dark stones of the Futhark!

So experiment and have a safe journey as you explore Ancient Runes Today.


During the 1840s, the Burt family was quite promi-nent in the Woodland area of Talbot County, Geor-gia. Mildred Burt, a widow, had two children, one of whom was the quiet, shy Isabella. Isabella had very dark shaggy hair and prominent shaggy eyebrows.

The sheep around town were being attacked and killed violently. It looked as though a wolf was at-tacking the livestock, but there are no wolves in Georgia. The town decided to assemble a posse and stake out the farms.

Mildred had a feeling about what was happening. One night she followed Isabelle out in the dark, but lost track of the girl because of the odd movements she made.

Mildred searched high and low for Isabella and could not find her -- until she heard a gunshot. Mildred ran as fast as she could. She stumbled and fell in the dark, and looked up to see her little girl holding her left hand. The posse had reached them by this time and wanted to know what happened. The posse told the women to be careful because they had shot the beast in its left paw before it pounced on a sheep, then it had ran off in their direction.

Isabella was taken to the doctor. She then was sent to Europe to stay with family for awhile. While she

was gone, the sheep and animal attacks ceased. When she returned, however, the attacks resumed...but they only happened on the full moon.

Isabella was disowned by the Burt family and kicked out of the house. She died on June 18, 1911, and was erased from the Burt family genealogy book.

The movie “The Wolf Man” from the 1930s has some suspicious similarities to Isabella’s story. The movie mentions Lycanthropy right away -- which is actually what Isabella was sent to Europe for, to be treated. The village in the movie is also called Talbot. What a coincidence!

Lycanthropy in lore is the ability to transform into a wolf. Therianthropy is the ability to transform into any animal.

Shape shifting is when a person puts themselves in a frame of mind of an animal and lives as that animal. The way that this is achieved is by first learning the Calling technique, which is watching the wilderness and becoming one with it by learning to speak to an animal in its language. Once you learn to call, you can learn to Borrow -- meditate, concentrate on an animal, see through its eyes, hear what it hears, feel its feelings. With this you can know exactly where this animal is. (I sometimes have this connection with our cat Amelia.)

Clinical lycanthropy is a rare condition in which a pa-tient will report a dream of wolf-like existence that is so lucid that it has to be real. Sometimes they can explain how a wolf has felt and exhibit the behavior of the wolf (i.e., being shy, timid, or attacking sheep while sleepwalking).

There is another disease that fueled this legend. This is called hypertrichosis or “werewolf syndrome”. With this disease people grow hair all over their face, mak-ing them look like a wolf. Human examples are Jesus “Chuy” Aceves, who is still alive, and Stephen Bi-browski and Annie Jones, who was a bearded lady.

All stories were inspired by something. All fiction has some truth in it somewhere.

Works Cited1.Moran, Mark. Sceurman, Mark. Miles, Jim. “Were-wolf In Talbot County.” Weird Georgia. April, 2006.

2. Rollins, Ronald J. “Columbus Georgia Online.” 2001-08. <http://www.columbusgeorgiaonline.com/harris_county18.htm>

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TAROT:THE DEVIL

-- by Jymi X/0

You’ve finally convinced your curious non-magical friend that the Death card isn’t going to kill them. They agree to let you perform a reading. They sit, fascinated, still a little nervous, as you turn over...THE DEVIL.

“Ohmigod! Does that mean I’m possessed?”

The Devil may be the second-most misunderstood card in the deck. This isn’t surprising, considering the multi-faceted nature of the Lord of Illusions him-self (or “Father of Lies,” if you prefer the more sinis-ter connotations). We, as Wizards, know better than to accept popular opinion at face value, so let’s get to know this ancient “villain” a little better.

The way I see it: the Prime Force of the Universe (“God”) is the pure homogeneous energy of All-That-Is. The Devil is that energy in separate packets, vi-brating at separate frequencies. He represents the Prime Force as individual beings, seeing Itself from every possible perspective, in all different dimen-sions, including the material worlds. If the Prime Force is one whole Unity stretching out to infinity, the Devil is that whole broken up into an infinite number of pieces.

We know that we are beings of energy, and that our physical form is a kind of shell that we use while existing here on Earth. But wait - the Earth, and ev-erything on it, is also made of energy! At the atomic level, this is all just interacting force and possibilities. From inside our bodies, we participate in the very convincing illusion that the macroscopic, ma-terial aspects of things are their “real” es-sence.

We know that this world isn’t all there is, but some-times it’s easy to forget that. We get caught up in the physical sensations, the material pursuits, the dra-ma, and the ego gratification. Know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. Some spiritualists have a tendency to poo-poo the physical world, as if it was shameful to be “trapped” here on Earth, let alone enjoy it. That’s a guilt trip we don’t have to accept.

HOWEVER... This isn’t a license to go overboard, do whatever you want, and ignore your spiritual needs and responsibilities. In order to get the most out of existence, we have to maintain a dual awareness: that of brain (body), which is focused on navigating the immediate physical dimension and the situations therein, and that of mind (spirit), which can detect and experience multiple frequencies all at once.

Usually, the Devil appears as a warning to let us know that we need to step back, evaluate our priorities, and re-focus our energy. He indicates a significant imbalance somewhere. We must beware of getting too caught up in material trappings -- or spiritual ones! Ignoring either aspect of your existence can cause trouble.

6 6

From an illustration by Gustov Dore


The Monsters We Make By Sapphire Soleil

At the University of Idaho there is a core class en-titled “The Monsters We Make.” Although my under-graduate days are long behind me, if I had to do them over again, I would sign up for this course in a moment. The question of why we humans feel constantly compelled to create and proceed to scare ourselves silly with fictional monsters is a fascinat-ing one. At this time of year, when things go bump in the night, all the old horror movies come off the shelf for a favorite viewing. From the classy classics like Dracula, Prince of the Undead to the gross out slasher flicks that have no discernible plot except to kill things, we sit in happy, horrific fascination as we watch the screen waiting, wanting to see the mon-ster return so we can be scared. What a silly thing to do!

And yet there is something primal in that wonder. Plenty of real life monsters exist in the world, why must we create more? I would venture to say we create them so we can conquer them or learn from

them. Mary Shelley created Frankenstein’s monster (the doctor’s name is Frankenstein, the monster had no name.) on a dare, but in doing so she exposed the world to an interesting idea. The monster in that

story really has a heart of gold. He can be kind, noble even. He is scared, he is lonely, he doesn’t under-stand why he even exists. Who among us has not felt those feelings at one time or another? Mary Shelley lets us sympathize with a monstrous thing, find its humanity, and in the process ponder our own.

Other, less intellectual monsters out there might pro-vide a way to release some frustration with the world. We are able to confront really frightening things in a controlled situation and even vanquish them in the end. We humans like to win against our foes, even fictional foes. The more mysterious the monster, the more we like it. We can scare ourselves silly and at the end of the book or the end of the movie find we have released some tension, enjoyed a vicarious thrill without endangering ourselves.

From Beowulf’s Grendel to Freddie or Jason, the monsters we make are the ones that truly open up our psyches and let us explore our darker side within the comforts of home. Pretty clever really.

Interested in some monstrous fiction? Here is a partial reading list for The Monsters We Make:

Medea translated by Celia Luschnig

Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney

Grendel by John Gardner

V is for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

The Cold War: A New History by John Lewis Gaddis

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1995)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Felix


Staff and visi-tors to the WGM Newsroom are familiar with our very own Zombie Horde. They stay in the Publishers’ Print Shop when they’re not out on

the Grey School campus mingling with the students. (Occasionally, they even help out with the paper...see this issue’s Food section!) Not all zombies are so blessed with personality, though. In fact, the lovable undead that shuffle through our school (and across our movie screens) are relatively recent additions to the undead family.

People of many different cultures throughout history have told tales about the dead who rise and walk, but it is the Haitian Voodou priests and priestesses (properly called Hougans and Mambos), and Hoodoo Bokors (folk-magic practitioners) who are most often credited with the ability to create a zombi by reani-mating a dead body.

According to the stories, these real zombis usually do nothing scarier than slave tirelessly in their mas-ters’ fields or workshops. Sometimes one will wander away, return home and frighten relatives and friends, who clearly remember burying the body...

But is that really a walking corpse? Well, no. In the 1980s, Dr. Wade Davis, an American anthropologist, suspected that the mysterious zombi-making process might be of interest to the medical community. He believed that the zombi was a living person who had been given a drug to induce a temporary, death-like paralysis. They were conscious of everything going on around them, but unable to react physically. They were pronounced dead, placed in a coffin, buried...and then exhumed by their new master.

Dr. Davis visited Haiti to learn more, and was able to bring samples of the “zombi powder” back to the US for research.* The generally accepted explanation is that the illness, brain damage from the poison and burial, the person’s belief in zombis, and the sheer terror of the situation contribute far more to bring-ing them under the master’s control than any magic power wielded by the Voodou or Hoodoo practitio-

ner. Doubt has been cast on Davis’s work, though. Some have questioned his scien-tific ethics and methods. It has also been shown that some reports of zombis return-ing to their home town are just cases of mistaken identity.

In any case, no proof of actual animated corpses has been found. For that, we have to visit another dimension, where imagi-nation is reality...

The (Grave) Dirt on....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A_Galvanised_Corpse.jpg

*Davis wrote a book, The Ser-pent and the Rainbow, about his adventures in Haiti. Direc-tor Wes Craven later turned the story into a movie of the same name.

by Jymi X/0

ZOMBIES!


The most famous modern zombies are from George A. Romero’s “Living Dead” series of movies, which began in 1968 with his classic Night of the Living Dead. Another genre-establishing series is Sam Rai-mi’s Evil Dead, begun in 1981. Countless spin-offs, imitations and other interpretations of the theme have been produced as well (of note is the popular 2004 horror-comedy Shawn of the Dead.) The zom-bie, usually lurking in the background of the horror genre, has moved into the spotlight of popular cul-ture during the past decade.

What could cause the dead to rise? In many of these movies, we aren’t given a reason. In Night of the Liv-ing Dead, Romero’s script hints at a meteorite crash-ing into the earth, but we are never told specifically that that is the cause. In his second movie, Dawn of the Dead, he drops the meteorite idea entirely, and one character suggests a more theological explana-tion: “When there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth.” Romero’s zombies don’t indulge in a lot of exposition.

The Evil Dead series makes no bones about the fact that the bodies are being animat-ed by malicious entities, summoned by the characters’ careless reading of passages from the Necronomicon.

In 1985, The Return of the Living Dead (based loosely on Romero’s original series) introduced a chemi-cal compound (2-4-Tetrachlorod-ibenzo-p-dioxin, for those wishing to follow the references to Agent Orange) which would not only re-start a corpse’s nervous system, but kill and zombify anyone who came in contact with it. This movie was the first to feature fast-moving, intelli-gent zombies, as opposed to the vacu-ous shamblers of previous films. These were also the first zombies to crave a specific food -- BRAINS!!! According to one of the zombies, when questioned by the characters, it was painful to be dead: “I can feel myself rot.” She explained that eat-ing brains “makes the pain go away.” From this we might deduce that chemicals and/or energy from the still-living tissue of the center of con-sciousness can help stave off cellular decomposi-tion, or at least dull the sensation of such.

Luckily, our WGM Zombies are animated and held to-gether by pure magic and their own enthusiasm for existence, and prefer pizza over brains any day.

Works Cited:Ferrin, S. “Zombies: A Field Guide.” Kiss the Corpse. 2005. Accessed 14 October, 2008. <http://www.kis-sthecorpse.com>

Professor Tau Peristera, personal conversation via email exchange, 14 October, 2008.

Return of the Living Dead. Dir. Dan O’Bannon. Helm-dale Film Corp., Metro Goldwyn Meyer, 1985.

Russell, Jamie. Book of the Dead. FAB Press: Surrey, England. 2005.

Wilson, Tracy V. “How Zombies Work.” HowStuff-Works, Inc. 2008. Accessed 13 October, 2008. <http://science.how-stuffworks.com/zombie.htm>

“Kissy-Skull” appears courtesy of Kiss the Corpse. Used with permission.

Jymi X/0

ZOMBIES!


Who would have thought that there would be more to Samhain, our Halloween, than going house to house and getting treats, mostly candy? There is – like...what’s for dinner?

Often, there is a stew, made from our garden’s boun-ty. A simple recipe is as follows:

Beef stew8 C. water¼ t. thyme7 basil leaves1 sprig lavender5 rosemary needles1/8 t. oregano 1 large sweet onion, chopped

4C. carrots, chopped into bite-size pieces8 oz. corn8 oz. peas6 oz. green beans8 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

About 1 t. each of Salt and pepper

2lbs stew meat, nicely marbled, cubed.Mushrooms are optional – I don’t add them as I don’t grow them

Flour and water for gravy.

Put the water into a pot and set to boil.

Fifteen minutes after putting the water up for boil, add all of the herbs. Reduce heat to medium and let boil for one hour.

Add carrots to water and boil for two hours at slightly less than medium heat.

Add vegetables next and boil for at least one hour. Next add salt and pepper.

Place about ½ C. water into skillet and brown meat. Water in skillet should be a nice brown. Add meat to pot. Boil for additional fifteen minutes.

Combine water and browned meat water in a bowl. Mix with flour to get a nice consistency, thinner than a paste. After meat has combined with pot contents for fifteen minutes, begin mixing in flour water, ½ C. at a time. Stir to mix well. Once desired stew con-sistency has been reached, stew is ready to eat.

Goes well with something crusty, like Italian or French bread and a nice red wine, or grape juice for those under the legal age limit!

The Dumb SupperThere is also the Dumb Supper. This is also known as the Feast with the Dead. This supper is tradition-ally served on Samhain because the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest.

The table is set with plate settings for everyone, plus one extra which is for the ancestor or friend that has passed. Nothing is said at dinner, making a re-quest to pass the salt a bit tricky. This dinner is often served with Soul Cakes, and other traditional late harvest goods (like apples) and candles to light the room...

Works Cited

Wigington, Patti. “The Dumb Supper -- A Feast with the Dead.” About.com. 2008. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhainoctober31/p/Dumb_Supper.htm>

Wigington, Patti. “How to Make a Soul Cake for Sam-hain.” About.com. 2008.<http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhaincook-ing/ht/Soul_cake.htm>

Samhain . . . What’s for dinner?By Artemis Gryphon SnowHawk

The recipe for Soul Cakes looked so good that the Zombie Editing Team ate the page...!! But you can find it at http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhaincooking/ht/Soul_cake.htm


This is Prof. Moonwriter’s own recipe and is the tra-ditional Halloween fare at her house, served with hot cider and a loaf of corn bread with butter and organic honey. For a variation, put a handful of Fritos in the bottom of a bowl and ladle the chili on top.

In a large kettle, brown 1 lb. ground beef and 1 me-dium yellow onion (diced).

Drain off most of the fat. Stir in:

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce1 16-oz. can stewed tomatoes1 15-oz. can pinto beans (not kidney beans!)1 tsp. salt21/2 tsp. chili powder1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot-ter)1/8 tsp paprika1/2 C. water

Bring to a gentle “bubble.” Reduce heat and sim-mer gently, uncovered, for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You’re aiming for a reduced liquid volume and a nice thickness. If it seems too thick, add more water. If too watery, just simmer a little longer.

I like to serve this with sides of diced sweet onion, diced sweet pepper, sliced or diced jalapeños, grated sharp cheddar, and sour cream. Ladle portions into warmed bowls and allow everyone to top their own as desired. A nice cake of hot cornbread can’t hurt anything, either. :)

Serve under a full moon and howl!

Hot Spiced CiderProf. Moonwriter

Empty a gallon of apple cider into a large kettle.

Add the following:1/2 lemon, sliced1/4 C. packed brown sugar5-6 cinnamon sticksA grating of fresh nutmeg (maybe _ tsp. total)1 tablespoon whole allspice1 tablespoon whole clovesIf available: a few whole anise seeds or 3-4 star anise

Simmer, covered, for at least an hour, then taste-add more sugar if needed. Remove lemons before serving (if left in, they’ll continue to make the cider increasingly tart, which eventually will be a little over the top).

For something a little special, dip a spoon into cara-mel ice cream topping and use the spoon to stir the cider. Yummy!

Chili by the MoonProf. Moonwriter

Jymi X/0

The Zombie Horde, standing in as Food Editors for this edition of WGM, thought it would be a good idea to in-clude a recipe for their favorite treat, home-made pizza. I told them they could jolly well write it themselves, since I don’t have time to come up with anything. -- Jymi


You wake one night in the wee hours, your stom-ach growling. Rolling over, you pull the covers over your head and try to sink back into your latest dream (which had been a really good one….) but alas, your stomach is determined to have the last word. “I’m hungry,” it insists. “Feed me. Now.”

Different people have different takes on the fabled midnight snack. The quickest solution might be nothing more than a glass of milk, while the devout snacker might empty out the fridge to create a mag-nificent, three-layer Dagwood sandwich. But could there be some method to the madness? All foods are psychoactive, i.e., have direct and specific effects on the human brain. Can you take what you know about the effects of food and raise that wee hours sandwich to new heights?

Let’s start with turkey. Turkey contains moderate levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in the production of serotonin and makes many people feel relaxed, or drowsy. A turkey sandwich might be just the thing to help you ease back to sleep. Like turkey, cashews and almonds also contain a high concentra-tion of tryptophan, and a handful of nuts can quiet your hunger pangs and induce sleepiness. Tuna is also high in tryptophan, as long as you don’t mind heading back to bed with tuna breath. (It’ll make your cat happy!)

Carbohydrates are an important part of the sero-tonin production cycle, helping to raise body sero-tonin levels and induce well-being. A piece of toast, a sandwich, or a bowl of cereal are packed with carbs; oatmeal is also rich in both carbohydrates and tryp-tophan. Between the sensation of having a full tum-my and the serotonin effects, any of these choices might be your answer to late night hunger.

While carb-rich foods are ideal midnight snacks, high concentrations of protein are best avoided. Why? Protein stimulates the release of dopamine, which tends to increase alertness and activity levels. Not what you’re looking for at 3:00 am!

Some sources believe that folic acid is linked to mood and to restlessness or, conversely, restfulness.

A small glass of orange juice or a handful of edama-me (soy beans) will furnish a quick jolt of folic acid, which might help calm a racing mind.

Many people find a mug of hot cocoa to be the perfect midnight snack. But be warned: while chocolate has the ability to stimulate the production of “feel-good” endorphins, it’s also a stimulant. Chocolate contains caffeine and also theobromine, a close relative of caffeine. Too much chocolate can keep you awake instead of easing you back into sleep—especially if you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine. Your mom might have suggested a glass of warm milk when you couldn’t sleep. All dairy foods contain tryptophan and melatonin, both of which can be sleep-inducing. But milk doesn’t contain very much of them, so you may or may notice any effects.

Would you like to head back to your pillow for some wild dreams? Try nutmeg, which is known for en-couraging psychoactive dreams. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg into a mug of cocoa or over a serving of applesauce. You might not “sleep tight” afterwards, but you’ll sure sleep interesting!

Would you rather just avoid the wee hours wake-up? Follow these simple guidelines: (1) Avoid caffeine for six to eight hours before bedtime; (2) don’t eat large meals close to bedtime; (3) avoid heavily-spiced foods in the evening—unless this is a cuisine you eat every day; (4) don’t drink a lot of fluids in the eve-ning (helps avoid “wee calls” in the wee hours); (5) avoid alcohol during the evening; yes, it’s a sedative, but it screws up the normal sleep cycle, interferes with REM sleep, and may cause wakefulness.

Sleep tight!

Source Consulted: Davies, Stephen and Alan Stew-art. “Nutraceuticals and Psychoactive Foods.” Univer-sity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. <http://mood-foods.com/comfortfoods/index.html> (no date)

The

MidnightSnackBy Prof. Moonwriter

Jymi X/0


The word “Pumpkin” comes from the Greek pepon, which meant “big melon.” It then became pompon by the French. The English called it pumpion, and then the European Americans turned that word into pumpkin. It’s like that whispering rumor game!

It is believed that the pumpkin originated in North America. Seeds of its relatives, aged from 7000 bce to about 5500 bce, have been found in Mexico. Native Americans used the pumpkins as a staple in their diet. It was roasted, put into stews and added to soups. It was also dried out and woven into mats. It is thought that pumpkin pie was invented by cutting off the top, pouring in the milk, spices, and honey and baking it over the dying hot ashes of a fire.

Halloween gets its name from All Hollows Eve, when November 1 was declared by the Catholics as All Saints’ Day in their attempt to Christianize the celebration of Samhain. The two cultures merged in the mainstream celebrations. There are still traditions such as wearing masks of animals and dancing around a bonfire, and rituals like bobbing for apples, which originally honored Pomona, an ancient Roman Goddess of orchards and fruit trees.

While the tradition of carving the Jack O’Lantern is usually associated with pump-kins, these scary faces were first carved into potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and oth-er vegetables. A piece of burning coal was placed inside which would light up the gourd from the inside. (Candles later replaced the coal. Can’t have dirty coal all willy-nilly...) This was used to scare off spirits that de-cided to be malevolent and pesky.

When Europeans (mainly the Irish) came to America in the 1800s, they found the pumpkin to be larger and started using it for their Jack O’Lanterns. Now it is one of the most beloved symbols of Halloween.

References:

Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon. “Samhain.” Gri-moire for the Apprentice Wizard. New Page, 2004.

All About Pumpkins. “History of Pumpkin.” The Pumpkin Patch. 1999-2008<http://www.pumpkin-patch.com/about.html>

Slone, David. “True Ghost Tales.” 2007-2008.<http://www.trueghosttales.com/history-halloween.php>

Pumpkins a Bigger and Better Gourd!

By Pratus Ater-Lupus

Carving by Corvin; photo by Jymi


Ogma Eruva A poet and a champion, Great Ogma speaks his word, armed with club of Heracles and clothed in lion’s fur. All who hear his eloquence are drawn, both old an young, as if his words were golden cords to their ears from his tongue. No enemy can best him if his ears can hear, but Ogma’s power comes not from a club or from a spear. In minds that hear him speaking, his wisdom plants a seed. True power lies within wise words as much as doughty deeds.

A few weeks before the Southern Oregon Conclave, I (Professor Rainmanker) posted the following challenge in the Bardic Circle area of the forums: Write a poem, any style, any length, on the subject of “Camping”.

Nine students participated, and all poems were read during the Bardic Circle at the Conclave on Thursday, August 21, 2008. By popular vote, the following poems (presented in the order in which they were submit-ted) were declared the winners:

Natures Song Tree Nymph Listen closely use your ear Do you hear our mother dear? Light the fire get out the drums Eat upon those tasty plums Sing and dance upon the earth Watch around you summers birth Dream of happy times you’ve spent While you sleep inside your tent Rise early take a hike Maybe even bring your bike Hear the river sing and laugh As you tred upon this path You sit upon a mountain high Looking down as birds fly by Grab tight upon your walking stick Getting down now thats the trick! You’ve reached the bottom yes horay! And is been a lovely day Now sets the suns last light But still your soul burns hot and bright! Soon the sun will rise again You will have to pack up then But you’ve sung natures song And will remember it forever long!

Upon this Earth we lay to rest, ‘Neath starry skies and forests best, Whether cold or hot or rainy haze, Fire burn and fire blaze. Traveling companions gather as friends, To acheive only magickal ends, To commune, to show or to amaze, Fire burn and fire blaze. Gather’d here in this circle free, To call upon the Divine Three, Maiden’s touch, Mother’s love and Crone’s gaze, Fire burn and Fire blaze. The time has come for us to part, But do not worry friends but take heart, We’ll naught come back but for a few days, Fire burn and Fire blaze.

By Nicholasofthe Cross

Bears in the Woods Quick go hide the Charmin!

By Marruth

Background photo by Jymi X/0


Lawrence Sutin, in this comprehensive biography, attempts to discover whether Aleister Crowley was, among other things, “[a] self-loathing, egomania-cal, blustery coward; an arrogant, misogynistic rac-ist with fascist leanings; and a callous drug user and addict.” Sutin quotes one of Crowley’s disciples as telling him, “There is no sense in trying to whitewash Crowley’s reputation. Aleister spent most of his life systematically blackening it.”

But was Crowley misunderstood both in his lifetime and by history and did he himself encourage such personal disparagement? Was he in fact a ground-breaking poet and an iconoclastic visionary, perhaps a prophet, with literary and cultural legacies? These are the questions that Lawrence Sutin addresses in this biography of one of the most infamous person-ages in recent history.

Crowley, one of the most feared and hated humans of his era until Adolf Hitler supplanted him in the popular imagination was self-styled, self-described, and popularly known as 666 or The Great Beast. It is entirely likely that two of the most famous lines of poetry ever written were at least tangentially about him:

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

William Butler Yeats’ belief, represented in these lines from “The Second Coming”, that his age--this age-

-represented the end of the cycle that began with Christianity and paralleled Crowley’s belief that the Aeon or new era had begun.

Crowley, at his best, was a difficult person judged by any standard of morality, even his own. But his times were not our times and as much as Crowley would like to say that he overcame his birth and upbring-ing, unfortunately he was very much a product of those and was forced to live with desires that, in his time, “dared not speak their name”, as Lord Alfred Douglas so delicately phrased it. Crowley’s behaviors easily exceeded the tolerance of the religious and even stretched to breaking point the attitudes of the historically tolerant academic and scholarly commu-nity.

Sutin summarizes: “For Crowley was first and fore-most a magus: a devoted adept of the art of high magic.” And what is a magus, we might ask, that the title invokes so much hatred from the traditionally religious world? “The magus is the figure who stands before the gates of religion and issues the most pow-erful challenge of all--equality of knowledge of, and access to, the divine realm. [...] Such a challenge cannot be ignored by those who preach in the name of any one true faith.”

Perhaps one of Crowley’s greatest legacies, and one which should firmly entrench him into the highest annals of not only magick, but art and literature also, would be his superb Tarot deck. A lifetime of devotion and study and experience is condensed by nearly su-perhuman effort into those 78 cards and anyone can benefit from the creation of his lifetime without ever considering the creator.

Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister CrowleyAuthor: Lawrence SutinSt. Martin’s Griffin, Paper, January 2002ISBN-10: 0-312-28897-2----------------------------------------Reviewed by silverlocke

REVIEWSCrowley perhaps anticipated the ‘...for dummies’ titles with his book entitled Yoga for Yahoos.

In Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale (1953), the villain, “Le Chif-fre,” is modeled on Crowley.

Oliver Haddo, the title character of The Magician by Somerset Maugham was based entirely on Crowley.


Those seeking a companion guide to the Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey need look no further than this book!

The adventure begins in the quest of natural remedies with trees, which are listed alpha-betically. There are the herbal uses, how to obtain the desired oil, bark, etc., but also the history behind it and the spiritual paths that would have used this particular tree, including Native American and Druid.

Part two of this tome discusses the Druid: magick, tools and arts, Oghams with divina-tory meanings, and recipes.

There is even an appendix which contains an extensive Gaelic pronunciation guide for selected words.

The spells, recipes, guide, and tree information that make up this book is a comprehen-sive handbook, yet easy enough for a beginner who is looking at the Druid path. Even if you are not, it is a great addition to every library!

A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine by Ellen Evert Hopman was released on June 9, 2008.Reviewed by Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk

“Have you read Twilight?” This question seemed con-stantly to hang in the air around me and up until re-cently I had to answer, “No, but I want to.” A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of saying, “Yes, I have,” for the first time and so became part of a great number of people who delight in Stephenie Meyers’ love saga.

In many ways, Twilight is your classic boy-meets-girl story, except for one slight difference: boy is a vampire. Before you start screaming that I’ve given away the ending, you’ll be interested to learn that Meyers has quite a few more tricks up her sleeve and the vampiric nature of Edward Cullen, our hero, merely scratches the surface. The heroine, Bella Swan, is your everyday girl in many respects, but for her love of Edward and her desire to join his

world. This is something that many of us can un-derstand; the romanticized notion of eternal life, beauty, and power. Yet, Edward opposes this wish for he no longer has a “normal” life and would not want to take such a precious gift from his love.

As this is only the first book in the series, there are many more questions and complications that arise, from the mortal dangers of being human and asso-ciating with vampires to the petty grudges of high school life. Although the writing can be slightly re-petitive and flatter than other authors, the story and characters grab the reader and keep them hooked. You’ll find yourself cheering for Bella and wishing you had a vampire of your own.

An Ageless Love Story Reviewed by Starwynd Panther

A movie that opens with werewolves battling vampires and travels along the path to uncover the destiny of each population, constantly at each other’s throats (literally!), must be good. And it is!

We follow the obsession that our beautiful heroine, Selene, develops with the one the werewolves seek: Michael Corvin. The Lycans develop a need to find this man and are abducting everyone with his name. Oddly, there is more than one.

There is a gothic feel to this movie that adds a necessary layer, underscor-ing the superiority that the vampires feel over the werewolves, who come off as thugs. This is a war that has been raging for centuries and has a climatic ending that is sure to be a surprise to everyone. The question remaining is, of course, who started this war?

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t0401855MOVIE REVIEW: Underworld

Reviewed by Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk

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Across1 Helpful to others4 Defeated Lucifer in Christian mythology in the Great War in Heaven8 Order of Demons; Ravens of Death10 ‘after death’; honors for celebrating Darwinism11 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The Empress’12 ‘wolf-man-ism’15 Where a pelt of hair grows all over ones body and face16 Actively deflecting attacks, whether physic or physi-cal17 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The Sun’18 Living beings who have died, yet still exist as dis-carnate entities in the astral plane20 Living dead, part of WGM staff23 Avoid doing stupid and life-threatening things26 Having nothing to do with women/sex28 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘High Priestess’29 Order of Demons; The Concealers32 The religion based on the darker side of the bible33 Prince of Darkness34 Recently left their bodies and paying their final farewell35 Vulnerability herb of werewolves37 A psychokinetic manifestation usually caused by a living person who has/is experiencing severe trauma39 Something that will happen but you can reduce the effects of happening to you be being careful40 Person is normal during the day and at night (usual-ly during the full moon) they change into a wild creature41 Used to recover from being a zombie42 Order of Demons; Twins of God43 Egyptian word for black48 Order of Demons; The Smiters49 Arabic mythology; Genie (Jin)50 Ultimate enemy52 Type of Vampire; a living being who takes your energies without permission56 No amount of education or intelligence can over-come this58 Name associated with Abracadabra59 Order of Demons; The Arsonists60 Mirror image of the Tree of Life; Negative counter-point61 Order of Demons; Poison of God62 Voodoo Sorceress

Down2 Often a family member or ancestor who one was close to before their death3 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘Judgment’4 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’5 Split personality disorder; Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde6 Demon of lust and anger7 Monster; ‘Lord of the Flies’9 A poltergeist is this type of manifestation10 To put things off13 ‘Having lost a body’14 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘Hanged Man’19 Type of Vampire; popular figures in litera-ture, movies, and TV shows21 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The World’22 The Department color for Dark Arts here at Grey School24 Offensive; Fighting back25 Order of Demons; The Obscene Ones27 Created by Maxwell Grant30 The Old Disney character with a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other31 Demon of animal strength36 Popular during the Renaissance, in which the aid of demon in enlisted by the magician37 Set up wards and shields around yourself and your space38 Order of Demons; The Hagglers44 A place which had a tragic happening which replays over and over45 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The Fool’46 Soulless undead which no life of their own47 Order of Demons; The Hinderers51 Recently left their bodies and paying final farewell53 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The Magician’54 The most powerful counter- defense against evil55 African for ‘spirit of a dead person’56 Vulnerability metal of werewolves57 Planet for Qliphah’s ‘The Tower’

Crossword Clues


WHISPERING GREY MATTERSis published by and for the students and faculty of the Grey School of Wizardry.

If you would like to join the Staff, or contribute art or writing, please con-tact one of the Faculty Advisors:

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Jymi X/[email protected]

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