May 2025 Grey Matters
- Dean Adservio
- 4 days ago
- 10 min read
Grey Matters
May 2025
Table of Contents
1.) GSW 2025 Roadmap
2.) Berserker Returns
3.) Creative Writing and Self-Publishing Lecture with Provost LaFountain
4.) Wizardry and the Modern Mind Lecture with Headmaster Kingsley
5.) New Class Announcement: Grimoires 200
6.) New Class Announcement: Introduction to Ghost Hunting
7.) May 2025 Astrological Forecast
GSW 2025 Roadmap
By Headmaster Kingsley
I hope that the day finds everyone in good health and high spirits!
As the trees outside my window begin their slow awakening, I find myself, as many Wizards do, thinking ahead. I write to you now from my office in the tower at Highspire, where the light of early spring casts a golden hue across my desk and the air hums with that particular promise of new beginnings. It is in that spirit that I @highlight for you GSW's Roadmap of the year ahead.
Each year, I take time to reflect on where we’ve been and to chart a thoughtful course forward. This roadmap outlines the major initiatives and improvements we intend to bring forth over the coming seasons, with an eye not only to growth, but to stability, excellence, and endurance.
In Spring, we turn to foundations: the Merit Challenge system will receive a much-needed update, a new series of vGSW lectures will open their doors to the public, and our Scenario offerings will be broadened across departments. We will also refine the onboarding experience for new apprentices, an important step in ensuring that every arrival feels well-oriented and welcomed.
In Summer, we shift to gathering: GSW will host its fifth annual Highspire Conclave, welcoming Faculty, Apprentices, and Magisters alike for courses, workshops, and celebration. A mobile website pilot will be tested to expand access to our digital classrooms. Toolkits for outreach will be refreshed, and a school-wide Book Donation Drive will work to strengthen our physical library holdings.
In Fall, we aim for excellence. The Cohort Program will formally launch, bringing forth a new live-taught academic structure within vGSW. We will support apprentice-led research with dedicated grants, grow our calendar of in-person events, and introduce seasonal ritual competitions to recognize ceremonial creativity and initiative.
In Winter, our focus turns to innovation. We will conduct faculty reviews to ensure our teaching remains strong and supported, and class reviews to continually refine the lessons we offer. Our Discord server will be expanded with new resources and functionality, and perhaps most notably, we will lay the foundations of a Publishing House, an institutional press for educational and esoteric works authored within our community.
And then comes late 2025 into early 2026, where our roadmap turns explicitly toward future-proofing.
In these latter months, we will launch GSW Mobile, bringing course access and alerts directly to the devices most pupils carry. We will undertake a compliance review in preparation for future accreditation. Our curriculum will be adapted to meet international standards. Behind the scenes, we will begin testing dynamic scenario engines, systems that allow for branching paths and adaptive environments. And finally, we will draft a 20-year facilities plan for Highspire, ensuring that our physical home grows wisely, sustainably, and with care.
Please note that this roadmap is a sketch, firm in its direction, but not inflexible. There will be additions, surprises, and mid-course corrections. The most meaningful parts of any journey are never printed on the map in advance, they are discovered by those who walk it.
If you find GSW’s year ahead as exciting as we do, consider this your invitation to walk with us. The strength of this School has never come from vision alone, but from vision put into practice by Wizards such as the very people reading this letter.
I look forward to what we will continue to build together.
Wizardly Regards,
Headmaster Kingsley ᛞ
The Grey School of Wizardry
Berserker Returns! By Headmaster Kinglsey
Well met, Apprentices, Magisters, and Wizards All!
The boards have been placed, the pieces polished, and the first match draws near. I’m pleased to announce the return of our termly Berserker Tournament!
If you’ve never played, Berserker is a tactical board game set on a 6x6 grid, where every move might send an opponent flying and where victory belongs to the sharp-eyed and steady-handed. This is no idle pastime. In Berserker, a well-timed bump or clever corner trap can make all the difference.
Beginning May 27th, Lodges will face off in a best-of-three bracket. The regular season runs through July, with playoffs in August and the final bout set for early September. Matches will take place in the Berserker Arena on vGSW, and spectators are, of course, most welcome!
Whether you come to compete or to cheer your Lodgemates on, I expect good sportsmanship, sharp play, and no shortage of spirited taunts!
Let the games begin!!
Wizardly Regards,
Headmaster Kingsley ᛞ
Creative Writing and Self-Publishing Lecture with Provost LaFountain
By Grey Matters Staff
Well met Friends and friends all,
as always we hope that the day finds everyone in good health and high spirits!
You are warmly invited to attend a special lecture with Provost LaFountain on Thursday, May 29th at 7:00 PM Eastern in the Assemblia Channel on Discord.
Over the course of two hours, the Provost will guide attendees through the process of creative writing and self-publishing—from finding one’s voice and shaping a narrative, to navigating the practical steps of bringing written work into the world. Drawing from his own experience as an author, his approach blends clarity, encouragement, and hard-earned insight.
This lecture is open to all Apprentices and Magisters, as well as members of the public. Whether you’re just beginning your writing journey or already deep into your craft, you’ll find plenty here to consider.
Wizardry and the Modern Mind Lecture with Headmaster Kingsley By Grey Matters Staff
Upcoming Public Lecture: Wizardry and the Modern Mind
May 12 | 6:00 PM EST | vGSW Campus Lecture Hall
Everyone is warmly invited to attend my upcoming lecture exploring the role of wizardry in the modern world.
Wizardry is not a flight into fantasy, but a return to something vital, something many have sensed but struggled to name. In this talk, we will examine how true wizardry, rightly understood, offers a grounded yet expansive way of thinking. It is a discipline that honors reason while daring to walk alongside mystery.
We’ll discuss how the frameworks taught here at The Grey School—the models of magick, symbolic literacy, and systems thinking—equip a wizard to meet the complexity of the modern world without retreat or embracing superstition.
All apprentices, magisters, faculty, and visitors are welcome to attend.
New Class Announcement: Grimoires 200
By Master Meighen
Well met Wizards all,
As always we hope that the day finds @everyone in good health and high spirits!
We're pleased to announce the availability of a new class in the Ceremonial Magick Department: “Grimoires 200!”
This new class will acquaint you with the foundational knowledge and perspective needed to access forthcoming glasses that will elaborate on the magick of various grimoires, such as the infamous “Key of Solomon.”
You will learn, among other things:
- The nature and history of grimoires
-Some famous (and infamous) grimoires throughout history
-The defining characteristics and steps that form Solomonic magick
- The nature of spirits and our interactions with them
- The importance of spiritual authority, and how to begin developing it
For those who are interested in ceremonial magick and specifically the evocation of spirits, this is a must-take class. And, in keeping with the ethos of our school to be perennially at the forefront of original thought and research into the esoteric and arcane, you may well find some of your assumptions and expectations challenged just a bit.
Enroll now, and We look forward to seeing you in class soon!
New Class Announcement: Introduction to Ghost Hunting
By Master Meighen
Well met Friends and Wizards all!
We are pleased to inform everyone that “Introduction to Ghost Hunting” is now live and accepting enrollments!
This exhaustive class will get you exploring haunted places and spooky locales safely, effectively, and knowledgably with a combination of practical hands-on assignments, theory-based essays, and personal reflections on the role of the Wizard in the pursuit of paranormal investigations.
You will learn, among other things:
-How to navigate safety, legal, and ethical considerations
-Team roles, responsibilities, and dynamics
- The use of tools and equipment such as cameras, voice recorders, EMF meters, and thermometers
-Methods of analysis for voice recordings and photographs
-Debunking false positives and identifying hoaxes
- Interviewing and research techniques
Please note that this Year 3, 3-credit class has two prerequisites: Basic Banishing and Introduction to Ghosts, so make sure you have those completed. The former ensures that you are equipped with Wizardly tools to deal with any unwanted spirits you may brush up against while the latter provides a solid grounding in the lore of ghosts, which is outside the scope of Introduction to Ghost Hunting.
It’s also worth noting that, while not a formal prerequisite, Defense Against the Dark Arts 101: Seeing into the Darkness makes a suitable adjunct to this class as well, offering a useful perspective on wisely discerning and evaluating situations and employing basic defensive measures if needed.
May 2025 Astrological Forecast By Grey Matters Staff If the past few months have felt like cosmic molasses, take heart: May 2025 is here to shift the energy in a big way. After a relatively calm astrological spring, the skies are ready to stir the pot, nudging us gently (and sometimes not so gently) into new territory. With fresh planetary momentum and rare celestial alignments on the horizon, this month delivers an open invitation to evolve, explore, and even take a leap of faith.
The first major shift arrives on May 4, when Pluto begins its retrograde in Aquarius. It’s subtle, sure, but this is the kind of energy that works beneath the surface, stirring reflection on deep transformation and prompting us to release what’s no longer aligned. Since October 2024, you’ve likely been evolving more than you realize. Now’s the time to process it all.
And that’s just the start. May also cradles us in a swirl of spiritual activity, beginning with the Scorpio Full Moon on May 12, a mystical lunar moment that peels back emotional layers and opens a path to inner renewal. This energy gets even more powerful with the arrival of the Algol Gateway, the Alcyone Gateway, and the Silver Gate Portal, three potent star alignments that serve as cosmic doors into realms of transformation, remembrance, and rebirth.
Expect to feel more connected to both your higher self and your ancestors this month. These alignments may trigger spiritual awakenings, moments of déjà vu, or a deeper understanding of your life’s purpose.
Then, toward month’s end, the skies drop a major karmic anchor: Saturn enters Aries on May 24, marking the beginning of a new two-and-a-half-year cycle. Saturn in Aries isn’t just a change in tone, it’s a rebirth of ambition, leadership, and self-mastery. Add the presence of Neptune to the mix, and this isn’t just about discipline—it’s about vision with structure. If you’ve felt stuck or unsure, this new Saturn cycle is here to bring clarity, commitment, and a fiery sense of forward motion.
May 1–3 | Venus Conjunct Neptune:
Love gets dreamy as Venus cozies up with Neptune in Aries. While this duo isn’t at home in the fire sign, they sprinkle magic over relationships, creativity, and compassion. Think romantic weekends, inspired art, or simply moments of deep connection.
May 10 | Mercury Enters Taurus:
Time to slow your roll and ground those racing thoughts. Mercury in Taurus helps us speak with purpose and think long-term: perfect for setting goals, tidying finances, or simply getting clear.
May 12 | Scorpio Full Moon:
A peak lunar moment for emotional release, this Full Moon invites us to dive deep and emerge wiser. Uranus is in the mix too, so expect breakthroughs, or at least some unexpected feelings. Stay honest with yourself, and transformation will follow.
May 15–17 | The Algol Gateway:
As the Sun aligns with the star Algol, we’re asked to reclaim our power, especially the kind that’s been suppressed or misunderstood. This Medusa-aligned energy reminds us that strength often comes through trials.
May 17 | Venus Leaves Shadow:
Venus finally exits her retrograde shadow, closing the chapter on relational and financial themes that began in February. This is your green light to move forward with love and money more confidently.
May 17–18 | Sun Conjunct Uranus in Taurus:
Expect the unexpected, but grounded. This is Uranus’ last big Taurus hurrah before moving on, so any shake-ups around stability, security, or values are likely clarifying rather than chaotic.
May 19–21 | The Alcyone Gateway (Pleiades Portal):
If Sirius is our spiritual sun, Alcyone is its shadow sister, drawing us into the emotional underworld for healing. Use this time to confront what’s been hiding in the shadows, especially old fears, shames, and limiting beliefs.
May 20 | Gemini Season Begins:
The Sun breezes into curious, chatty Gemini, shifting our attention to ideas, communication, and duality. It’s a great time to write, teach, socialize, or explore new interests.
May 24 | Saturn Enters Aries:
A heavyweight transit and one of 2025’s biggest shifts, Saturn’s move into Aries signals new lessons around courage, initiative, and leadership. If you remember the vibes of the mid-90s, this might feel familiar. Aries says go, and Saturn says do it wisely.
May 25 | Mercury in Gemini:
Your mental motor gets a boost as Mercury enters its home turf. Communication flows, ideas spark, and conversation becomes electric. Use this window to pitch, publish, or have that important heart-to-heart.
May 26 | Gemini New Moon:
This New Moon reminds us that balance lies in blending intellect with intuition. Trust the signs that show up today, especially if they come in the form of a whisper from the Universe or a line in a book that hits just right.
May 29–30 | Mercury Cazimi:
Mercury aligns with the Sun in what astrologers call a “Cazimi,” a moment of mental clarity and epiphany. It’s a brain boost day, perfect for insight, problem-solving, or visioning what comes next.
May 29–31 | Aldebaran Gateway / Silver Gate Portal:
As the Sun meets the royal star Aldebaran, we’re bathed in a cosmic spotlight. Wisdom, higher purpose, and soul contracts come into focus. It’s a potent time to reconnect with your inner guide or the mission you may have forgotten.
The Bottom Line:
May is less about speeding forward and more about aligning deeply. With themes of release, remembrance, and rebirth, this month invites us to plant new seeds—but with purpose. Watch for portals, tune into your dreams, and let your inner compass guide you through the transitions. A new cycle is dawning. Are you ready to meet it?
GSW Spring Myths Crossword
By Grey Matters Staff Complete the crossword online at https://crosswordlabs.com/view/gsw-spring-myths-crossword Or download a PDF:
