April 2025 Grey Matters
- Dean Adservio
- Apr 1
- 13 min read
Grey Matters
April 2025
Table of Contents
1.) Winter Term 2024 Dean's List
2.) Waters Lodge Claims Lodge Cup
3.) New GSW Apprentice Leadership Scabbard
4.) Dorm Decorating Contest
5.) vGSW Scenarios Open
6.) vGSW Cohort Program Enrollments Open
7.) New Ancient History Lore Minor Available
8.) Flames Moot April 26th
9.) Club Fair April 30th
10.) The Sapling
11.) April 2025 Astrological Forecast
12.) GSW Fictional Writing Crossword
Winter Term 2024 Dean's List
By Master Meighen, Master of Studies
As of the end of the Winter Term on the Spring Equinox in the year 2025 CE, the following Apprentices have distinguished themselves through academic excellence and earned Dean's List nominations in at least three of their classes. By the power vested in the office of the Dean of Curriculum, I am pleased and honored to award these deserving individuals the honor of the Dean's List.
Their names are henceforth recorded here so that their achievement may be distinguished in perpetuity.
Captain Dega: Wizards of History 301: Medieval, Folklore 401: Introduction to Narrative Forms, Wondrous Stories 201: The Blessings of Bragi, Listening to Legends 201: The Silmarillion, Archetypes 501: Collective Unconscious, Rootskeeping 301: Scrapbooking for Wizards, Information Literacy for Wizards, Wizardly Tales of Ancient Wales 501, Scribbulus 201: Introduction to Fiction Writing, Archetypes 401: Introduction, Wizards of History 701: Modern Era, Storytelling 401: Tales of the Fabulists, Wondrous Stories 102: More Myths and Legends, The Development of European Magick
Apprentice Flaming Phoenix: Basics of Hoodoo: Working with the Ancestors, Cleansing and Purification, Introduction to Magickal Metalwork, Western Astrology 201: Planets, Water Ceremonies, Introduction to Hoodoo: History and The Ancestors, Introduction to Ancient Hebrew in Magickal Practice, Correspondences
Apprentice Jack in the sea: The Wizard's Voice, Safety and Herb Use, Treecosystems 201, Core Energy Practices 101: Cleansing, Shielding, and Meditating, The Elements, Basic Banishing, So You Want To Be A Green Wizard?
Apprentice Tim: Death Lore 300, Wizardry 101: Wizardly Perspective, Your Sanctum Sanctorum, Laughter Is the Best Medicine
Prefect Altiriel: Wizardry 200: Scrolls and Service, Basic Banishing, Shadowlore 100: Creatures of the Night, Apprentice Leadership: The Road Ahead
Magister Tsuki: How Low Magick Works, Herbcrafting 201: Potions and Brews, Wizard House, Santa Claus: A Global Wizard
Apprentice Amortus: Ethics of Healing 201, Ethics 200: Know Thyself, Ethics of the Dark Arts, Plants 100 - The Power of Photosynthesis
Apprentice Faith Doyle: Introduction and Overview of the Chakra System, Introduction to Lifeways, Bardic Magick 101
Apprentice Apollinaris: Introduction to Poppets, How Low Magick Works, Basic Banishing
Prefect Abbie: Lodge Lore - Flames, The Demons Within - Negative Emotions and How to Deal with Them, Introduction and Overview of the Chakra System
Apprentice Fenler Novastrum: Ecology: Understanding and Preserving the Natural World, The Mythic Feminine, Introduction to Lifeways
Please join me in congratulating these hardworking Wizards for their dedication and commitment to their studies!
Waters Lodge Claims the Lodge Cup
By Headmaster Kingsley
Hear Ye, Hear Ye, everyone and all!
Let it be known, The Waters Lodge Have Claimed the Lodge Cup!
But...What does that mean? What does it do? Good questions!
First: The Winner's VGSW Lodge is given the trophy to place on their mantle and forum
Crest. Not only that, but this very page is updated to reflect the Winning lodge as well; Giving that lodge definitive proof that they are indeed the best...At least for a term.
Second: The banners and buntings for the Winner's Lodge are placed across the VGSW grounds, and the Highspire Great hall, proclaiming their greatness for all to see.
Third: The Winner's Lodge Page is updated with an animated elemental themed background specific to that Lodge, and they have a special crest displayed for the duration of the term. This of course adds the extra pizzazz that every winner so rightly deserves.
Fourth: The Lodge who holds the cup with have their "Lodge Cup Crest" displayed at the top of that term's newsletter.
Fifth: Last but not least, the Winning Lodge will have special merch available to them via the GSW Zazzle that shows off their Lodge Cup Crest, really showing that win to the world!
With this bounty of boons up for grabs, every Wizard should seek to do their best to take their Lodge to the top! Now I have had some say "But Headmaster! I want a sack of money when I win!" And to that I say, don't we all! While these rewards may not grant you some hidden fortune of gold, they all grow the Reputation of your Lodge, See the Second Rule of Wizardry if you're in doubt as to the value of that!
Best of Luck in the Lodge Competition ahead, Wizards!
New GSW Apprentice Leadership Scabbard
By Grey Matters Staff
We offer a warm welcome to the new Scabbard of Apprentice Leadership: Waters Prefect: Apprentice Flaming Phoenix
Flames Prefect:
Winds Prefect: Apprentice James Perkins
Stones Prefect: Apprentice Kelly Day
Shadows Prefect: Apprentice Ari
Captain: Apprentice Abbie
Vice-Captain: Apprentice Asher
Dorm Decorating Contest
By Headmaster Kingsley
I'm pleased to announce something new starting today in vGSW: a monthly Dorm Decorating Contest!
This first round will be straightforward, simply the "Best Decorated Dorm." There's no set theme this month, so you can express your personal style freely! Moving forward, monthly themes will be announced and pinned both in our vGSW Discord channel and prominently within the virtual campus itself.
Each month, pupils will have from the announcement date until the second-to-last day of that month to thoughtfully decorate their dorms. On the last day, Master Meighen, Master Kayser, and Headmaster Kingsley will tour the dormitories, choose the standout rooms, and announce our winners!
First Place Wins 25 Merits
and our Runner-Up Wins 5 Merits
There are no entry forms or submissions required—simply decorate your dormitory space and ensure it sticks to our vGSW realism guidelines.
We're looking forward to seeing how each of you chooses to personalize your dorm rooms!
Good luck, and happy decorating!
vGSW Scenarios Open
By Headmaster Kingsley
Sessions are now available for the Wizard's Keep Scenario!
You can find the Wizard Keep class under the scenarios tab, and what's more; Enrolling in Scenarios no longer takes up a class slot!
vGSW Cohort Program Enrollments Open
By Headmaster Kingsley
Well met Wizards one and all,
I hope that the day finds everyone in good health and high spirits!
Registration for The Grey School of Wizardry’s vGSW Cohort Program is Now Open!
We're proud to highlight that registration is officially open for the inaugural cohort of our new structured, live-taught educational experience, the vGSW Cohort Program. This innovative approach to learning blends the rigor of traditional university study with the immersive, interactive environment of our virtual campus.
Apprentices in the Cohort Program will progress together through structured weekly classes, exploring the full breadth of wizardly disciplines under direct guidance from our dedicated faculty. Cohort apprentices will experience enhanced accountability, deeper immersion, and a greater sense of community—hallmarks of this thoughtfully designed university-style learning path.
To learn more, and about how to join this landmark program, please visit: www.greyschool.org/cohorts
We look forward to welcoming apprentices ready to embark on this exciting new chapter of their journey.
New Ancient History Lore Minor Available
By Master Meighen, Master of Studies
It is my pleasure to announce the availability of a brand-new Minor in the Lore Department: The Ancient History Minor!
This Minor will allow an Apprentice to enrich and enhance their studies as part of their Major with:
The basic skills and unique perspective of the Lorekeeper
Insight into Archaic and Ancient History
An understanding of the role of scientific archaeology
And more!
By selecting this as your minor, you will be engaging with a curated program of study designed to offer a Wizardly perspective on ancient peoples, history, cultures, and civilizations. By better understanding the past, we are able to see more clearly the patterns of the present and future.
Flames Moot April 26th
By Vice Captain Asher
Flames Moot! April 26th from 5 to 7 PM EDT Come learn about wizards at service in the community. Presentations will delve into how a wizard can be of service, give examples of how wizards can be of service, and will have an interactive presentation where you too can be of service.
Club Fair April 30th
By Vice Captain Asher
April 30th from 5 to 7 PM EDT Want to get involved in extracurriculars? Learn more about wizardry? Have fun while socializing with your fellow apprentices? Come to the Grey School Club Fair! Clubs will tell what they are all about, what role you would play, and how you can get involved.
The Sapling (fochluc)
By Journeyman Dega the Black
The room was musty, dark, and filled with smoke, laughter, and good cheer. On
stage, the master bard stood with his lute in hand, strumming a magical tune
weaved with a magical tale. He told of a hero who stood out against the grand
wizard and his magical creation, the golem. As the details of how the battle was
joined, the audience lowered their voices and opened their ears.
The young apprentice, Arlo, could see that the crowd was ready for the
stalwart hero to defeat the wizard's magical creation, and put down the evil
wizard. Arlo could see Aodh had the audience at the edge of their seats, as
the hero struck the first blow with his long sword and the magical creation, the
golem, made of stone, punched with fist. The first attacks of the melee would
decide the battle. The hero's sword broke, and the golem broke the hero's face!
"Yea, evil wins again!" said the Magnificent One Aodh.
"Dang! I was sure the story would have ended differently," remarked Cormac the
bartender.
"Yeah, no doubt! Another story! This is too much like life already," yelled a
customer.
After taking in both the applause and complaints, Aodh bounced off the tavern
stage, and announced, "As you wish, my loyal audience! Once I wet the
whistle, I will tell the tale of the giant Nephilim race and the Thunder-axe Dwarf
Clan." All in earshot cheered loudly.
"Master, why do you always begin with a sorrowful tale of defeat?" asked
Arlo.
"Hmm. Interrupting my drink, eh? Well, young sapling, usually because the gold
and silver flows when one starts low and ends the night with a high. You've
apprenticed with me for four years now, and still, you ask these questions?"
explained Aodh.
"I guess you're right. Why the story of the golem such as the one you told. What
is such a creation? Sometimes, you call me a golem," remarked Arlo.
Taking a pull from his drink, Aodh explained, "Typically, in a land far from
Tir na Nog, to a people you have never heard, exists the myth of the golem. I bought the tale from a local gangster named Rodolfo, some sort of court jester-gangster type who visited the Oriental lands. His wares when he sells them ... "
"Master? The Golem?" interrupted Arlo.
"Golem? Oh yes, anyway, the golem is an unthinking, magical creation. What
the golem's master orders, the golem does. Now, in the story I told earlier, the
golem was made of what?" asked Aodh.
"Um, stone?" responded Arlo.
"Yes. Stone. Some stories use wood, some clay. Some stories speak of how our people
came about, humans that is, that we were made from clay. The clay, in an
artist's hands, can be something special. However, before it is formed, it is simply
clay. The people who spoke of the golem myth call people a golem to denote
unformed substance," said Aodh.
"Unformed substance?" asked Arlo.
"Yes. Basically, when your father, cursed be he, dropped you off to apprentice
under me, you were a golem of unformed substance. Clay that had yet to be
dug up and put into something useful!" explained Aodh.
With eyes squinting into slivers, Arlo said, "Go on."
"As you enter into your apprenticeship, you are not yet a Ollamh (Professor), just a
simpleton. Hence, the second meaning of the word, golem. You are at that
stage now," declared Aodh.
"Yes, I see. So, I'm clay or an idiot?" asked Arlo.
"Exactly! You understand!!" remarked Aodh taking another pull from the mug.
"But what of the story?" again asked Arlo.
"Well, although I'm no wizard. At least, I'm not of the spell book type. I'm
teaching you to become like the one in the story, but one of music, magic, and
storytelling. Before you ask, you simply need to do what you're told; it's the way
of old. Follow what I do by using your ears, eyes, and body. Notice, the mouth
was not included," explained the bard. "Many masters before me used these
patterns to make other masters."
Piercing Aodh suspiciously, Arlo shot back, “Sounds like you just want me to say nothing against you.”
Aodh looked thoughtfully at the empty mug, then at Arlo, “Think of things this way. The master bard is like an ancient tree…”
Arlo inhaled to comment on Aodh’s age. Quickly, Aodh outstretched his arm which dissuaded any further interruption.
“You were brought to me a simple seed,” Aodh continued, “I planted you, watered you, and you sprouted! As a sapling amongst other trees in the forest, listen to what we have to say. Watch what we do to be taught. Understand what the water, ground, and what the weather communicates. If you think I’m tough on you, wait till you meet my Ollamh!”
Years later, to the tune of two, Arlo replaced Aodh as the bard who sang at the tavern in
Kintaro. Arlo grumbled about his new stage name of ‘The Jaundice” as Aodh demanded, but he nevertheless quieted his mind to ready himself for the performance. He drew a strong pull from the mug of ale and began to tune his instrument. As Arlo plucked his instrument to check the strings, his voice began to sing…
“Sing and song, sing and song, back in the days when lives were long…
The mighty warriors from the North and the gang of mimes,
Sing and song, sing and song, started right here where they belong…
Started their adventures, fighting evil, twas their time,
Cormac’s tavern! Cormac’s tavern! That tis where it all began!
Cormac’s tavern! Cormac’s tavern! That’s how they became a man…
As the crowd joined in, Arlo repeated the verses. His hands played the strings in rapid fashion, but Arlo wasn’t performing anymore…he weaved. Arlo weaved his music, weaved a newly spun tale, and weaved magic that entranced the audience.
Everyone in the tavern was roused to heroism. Thinking to fight evil, the patrons of Cormac’s tavern grabbed their swords, daggers, and shields. Thinking to attack the goblin cave that had been plaguing the village, the patrons screamed and yelled incoherently while exiting the tavern.
Before the patrons could exit, a tall, silhouetted figure in a yellowish robe blocked their escape. The crowd began to threaten, yell, and taunt the robed figure. All the while, Arlo was in the background bellowing his song.
Ever so slowly, the figure reached for something inside his robe. A wooden flute. The figure held the flute up horizontally and sharply snaped the flute in a downward motion. The crowd dropped to the ground, asleep. Arlo, fell off the stage bench crashing to the floor. Cormac passed out on the bar, still holding a bottle of wine. All but the barmaids were subdued.
Second pass and Arlo awoke from a sharp crack on his head. As his eyes popped open to witness the striker, he rubbed the bruised area.
“Tell me young one, how did you do that? Did my student teach you that?” asked the figure.
“Sir,” Arlo began, “teach me what? The song you mean?”
“Yes.”
“It just came to me,” Arlo looked confused, “I just opened my mouth and let the fingers take over!”
“You’ve got to learn to control your weaving…the magic of Tir na Nog can be overwhelming,” said the figure. “I’ll be watching you.”
With that, the figure raised his walking staff a foot off the ground and struck the ground three times. Upon the third strike, the robed figure could be seen no more. All the patrons were back in the seats, patiently waiting for the performance to begin. Cormac quizzically eyed Arlo to suggest he get off the floor and onto the stage.
As Arlo hopped onto his bench, “Let me start with a tale of great courage…”
At the end of the night, Arlo walked away with a large purse of silver. Twenty pieces of silver would normally be enough to live off for a month or two! Such a shame Aodh obtained the whole lot…seemed that only the big trees get all the light!
Bibliography
Cole, B. (1983). The Renaissance Artist at Work: From Pisano to Titian. Boulder: Westview Press.
Ellis, P. B. (1994). The Druids. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
April 2025 Astrological Forecast
By Grey Matters Staff
Welcome to April 2025—a month that starts in a haze and ends in a blaze. Dreamy Neptune has officially entered Aries (as of March 30), kicking off a 13-year journey that blends divine vision with bold beginnings. This rare transit (last seen in 1861–75!) stirs a soul-deep urge to lead with passion, even if the roadmap is still blurry.
We’re still shaking off the cosmic cobwebs from March’s Mercury and Venus retrogrades, but relief is on the horizon. Mercury stations direct on April 7, clearing the air and our inboxes. Venus follows suit on April 12, reawakening hearts, fashion sense, and that long-lost flirt game. Spring fever, delayed but not denied.
The Libra Full Moon: Peace, Please (With a Side of Drama)
April 12 brings a full moon in diplomatic Libra, spotlighting relationships of all kinds. But don’t expect pure harmony—this lunation clashes with Mars in Cancer and a Sun–Chiron duo in Aries. Translation? Old wounds and defense mechanisms may resurface. Tread lightly. With Jupiter beaming in from Gemini, a little risk in love or partnership could go a long way. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” is your full moon mantra.
Venus Direct: Cue the Romance Revival
After six weeks in retrograde, Venus finally resumes her direct motion on April 12, gliding through Pisces until month’s end. Cue soft-focus romance, dreamy dates, and a rekindled desire for deeper connections. Add a spiritual twist to your social life—this vibe is all about cosmic chemistry.
Mars in Leo: Bold Moves Only
On April 18, Mars struts into flashy Leo, turning up the volume on drama, play, and passion. Whether in love or work, confidence is your superpower. Ditch the script and try something new. Spoiling yourself—and your people—is not just allowed, it’s encouraged.
Taurus Season: Ground and Glow
We trade fire for earth on April 19 as Taurus season begins. After Aries lit the spark, Taurus helps us build something lasting. Time to refine, recalibrate, and maybe treat yourself to something luxe while you're at it. Stability doesn’t mean stillness—it’s about moving with intention.
April 26–27: Storm, Then Stillness
Watch out for turbulence around April 26 when Mars opposes Pluto, triggering power struggles or shady behavior. But don’t panic—a soothing Taurus new moon arrives on April 27, offering a reset button. Plant your intentions in fertile soil. Even amid chaos, you can create calm.
Taurus New Moon: Practical Magic
The supermoon on April 29 invites you to blend sensuality and strategy. It’s a prime time to start fresh—financially, emotionally, and energetically. Just beware of the cosmic T-square stirring jealousy, comparison, or pressure to prove yourself. Stay grounded. Your path is yours alone.
Venus in Aries (Again): Love, But Make It Empowering
Venus wraps the month by reentering Aries on April 29, where she’ll stay until June 6. This isn’t about waiting to be chosen—it’s about choosing yourself. Reignite forgotten passions, prioritize solo joy, and reclaim your time and attention. Anyone who’s taken you for granted? They’re about to get the message.
April’s Vibe Check: Steady Your Flame
April is a bridge between the dream and the doing, between yearning and action. As retrogrades end and new seasons begin, you’ll be invited to move with purpose, love with clarity, and build from the ground up. Want to know how it all plays out for your sign? Your April horoscope has the goods.
GSW Fictional Writing Crossword
By Grey Matters Staff
Complete this month's crossword online at https://crosswordlabs.com/view/gsw-fictional-writing-crossword
Or download a PDF:
