September 2021 Grey Matters
- Dean Adservio
- Oct 3, 2021
- 15 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2021
The Grey Matters
September 2021
Table of Content
New Scabbard of Apprentice Leadership
Lodge Cup Winner Announced
Dean's List Recipients
The Hidden Provost's Riddle
October Book Sale at Magick Alley
October vGSW Updates
Headmaster Oberon Interview
Where Is My Class Feedback?
In-Person Classes at GSW
Candleside Chat
The Story of the Double Slit Experiment
Creating an Ancestor Altar
Between the Covers: New World Witchery
Ask the Wizard
New Scabbard of Apprentice Leadership
By Dean Emrhys Starhawk
Hear ye, hear ye! We have a new Apprentice Leadership Team to announce! Please congratulate the following Apprentices who will serve you and the school in the following roles this term:
Captain: Richard Crow Vice-Captain: Angela Rollins (BlueCapucian) Winds Prefect: Mac Anrothaic Waters Prefect: Milan Rodowicz Flames Prefect: Malcorr Greyseeker Stones Prefect: SelahNyx
These Apprentices are examples of some of the brightest minds here at the Grey School of Wizardry! Huge congrats to them on earning these Leadership positions and do not forget, YOU too can earn this position in the future! If you as an Apprentice or Magister need any assistance with the School please do not hesitate to reach out to them via their official Leadership email at GSWApprenticeLeadership@gmail.com you can also reach them on the forums and Discord. Congrats again!
Lodge Cup Winner Announced
By Dean Emrhys Starhawk
WHOAH! Lodge Cup Winner Announcement! Every term a Lodge has the chance to earn the coveted Lodge Cup! Merit points are earned throughout the term by completing School challenges, department challenges, and by impressing your Professors and Instructors in your classes with your hard work! These points are added up and the Lodge that earns the most merit points at the end of the school term earns the coveted Lodge Cup! Congrats to the Fall 2021 winners: Waters Lodge! Way to go Undines! Here is the complete list of Lodge Cup standings!
1st Place: Waters Lodge with 16.09 2nd Place: Stones Lodge (not bad Gnomes!) with 13.73 3rd Place: Winds Lodge (good work Sylphs!) with 13.02 4th Place: Flames Lodge (Salamanders bringing the heat!) with 10.79 5th Place: Psyche Lodge (excellent effort Psyche's!) with 3.26
Way to go everyone!
Dean's List Recipients
By Dean Adservio
Greetings and well met, Apprentices, Magisters, Faculty, and Friends of the Grey School of Wizardry! Today is the start of a new term here at the GSW, with all of the new possibilities that entails.
As we move forward, however, it is my pleasure to announce those deserving individuals whose high academic achievements have earned them places on the Dean's List in recognition of their outstanding work in their classes.
Please join me in congratulating:
Apprentice Grey_Owl Apprentice KammieOwltree Apprentice Malachite_Forestfoot Apprentice MedeaMoonstone Apprentice Phyrepharie Apprentice Stellaluna Apprentice Yifan Apprentice Macanrothaic
I would also like to recognize the following Honorable Mentions, who earned at least two nominations to the Dean's List but not the required three:
Apprentice Airin Apprentice Avallach Apprentice FoxMacTavish Apprentice GladiusDivini Apprentice LunaSkye Apprentice Lyssa Apprentice OberonMorningstar Apprentice RavenRose Apprentice FloraRose Apprentice Rievahdel Apprentice SelahNyx
The full announcement can be found on the forums at https://www.greyschool.net/.../6149fc498b23b000165e72aa. Details on the Dean's List award can be found at https://www.greyschool.net/.../what-is-the-dean-s-list.
The Hidden Provost's Riddle
By Provost Nicholas Kingsley
Congratulations to Apprentice Macanrothaic for finishing the Hidden Provost's Riddle on VGSW.
Not only did this vaunted wizard locate and solve each stage of the hidden riddle, he also did so in record time! Well done that man and good form!
As a reward for this Wizardly feat,
Five Merits are Awarded to the Society of the Four Winds.
As Apprentice Macanrothaic has now finished this Riddle Quest, he is sworn to secrecy and bidden not to reveal the secrets of the quest, so that others might test their wit with no spoilers of what may come.
Again, Congratulations and well done!
October Book Sale at Magick Alley
By Magick Alley Manager Arthur Kingsley
October is National Book Month, and Magick Alley is celebrating with new books and great deals until the 31st! This month, save 5-25% on all books, and get a free book when you buy 3 using coupon code: OCTOBERBOOKS
NEW BOOKS THIS MONTH: Book 4 by Aleister Crowley Death Rights and Rites by Reverend Judith Karen Fenley and Oberon Zell
BACK IN STOCK: The Magus by Francis Barrett The Big Book of Practical Spells by Judika Illes
Have a splendid National Book Month, and thank you all for shopping at Magick Alley!
October vGSW Updates
By Provost Nicholas Kingsley
Pumpkin Patch Notes:
-Added October Decorations to the VGSW
-Updated several textures to now show from multiple angles
-Added a new Seasonal game to the woods between the Flames and Winds lodges
-Updated Lighting
-Updated a path near waters Lodge which was causing some Visual glitches
Keep up the good work in your classes and Enjoy this Spooky season!
Headmaster Oberon Interview
By Grey Matters Staff
You can catch Headmaster Oberon's Latest interview on The 'X' Zone Radio Show!
You can listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/.../rob-mcconnell-interviews...
Where Is My Class Feedback?
By Dean Adservio
Greetings and well met, Apprentices and Magisters! We are aware that feedback from your classes is not always being reliably delivered via email. If that is the case, you can still check the status of your submissions, check your grades, and receive feedback from your instructors. From your homepage on the GSW class site, under the "Class Information" section, click on the name of your class. On the class page, you will see a list of assignments under the heading "Tests for this Class." Here you will see the grades that have been issued; if you don't see a grade, it hasn't been graded yet. Click on the name of a graded assignment to find the instructor's feedback beneath your submission.
In-Person Classes at GSW
By Provost Kingsley
Our List for the Classes on offer in 2022 at our Physical Campus will be published after my candleside chat in October on the 9th, so if you have any suggestions let us know before then!
You can comment your suggestions on the Forums, or as an Email to DoC@GreySchool.com with the Subject line: Class Suggestion
The current draft list is on the Forums at https://www.greyschool.net/forum/office-of-the-doc/in-person-classes
Candleside Chat
By Provost Nicholas Kingsley
Join me for our Monthly Candle-side chat! Candle-side chats are an opportunity to learn about the current projects and plans of GSW. Be sure to tune in live or check out the recording on the forums!
Quantum Physics and the Story of the Double Slit Experiment
By Apprentice Macanrothaic
Editor's note: The Double Slit experiment is a famous demonstration of the effects of observation on particles. Physicist Richard Feynman said that it is "a phenomenon which is impossible to explain in any classical way, and which has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only mystery of quantum mechanics."
We are all consciously connected through energy, through energy in its smallest particle, its
smallest mode of existence. The smallest idea I have for this concept is sound. A word
spoken is the smallest form of energy there is. There is Om. There is Amen. There is Awen.
There is Yes, No, Up, Down, Right, Left, In, Out, On, Around. These are all forms of energy
when spoken, when given potential, when given inertia, or when given a push.
We are all one long run-on sentence being spoken into existence, by something or someone,
somewhere, sometime, somehow. And that energy has been proven to be both mass and
energy, to be able to transform between the two states given the appropriate conditions.
Just as water can exist as a solid, a gas, or a liquid so too can this energy exist as sound, as
energy, as a solid, or as matter. It solely depends upon the conditions surrounding it.
Now, the observer, the one who observes all, the one who somewhere, somehow, someway, for some reason or other, spoke the existence into being, is in everything as everything is
composed of this energy, this word, this Om, this Amen, this Awen, this Up, down, right, left,
wrong, right, yes, no, tonight, tomorrow, in, out, on, under…
This entity that spoke the word, that energized everything, that energizes everything, one day
decided to look at itself. It found a way to look at itself and, as it is in everything, the smallest particles are composed of it and the bigger particles constantly hear it in their minds. They hear it in their ears, they hear it when they put a seashell up to their ear, the roaring sound, the Om, the Amen, the Awen.
This being found a way to look at itself, yet as it is in everything and is everywhere, it can not
help but laugh anytime it sees itself for what it truly is. Some say it’s the Great Spaghetti
Monster, others say it’s a Triune deity named Elohim/Yhwh, others say it’s not a thing at all, and those that do truly know, well, they don’t say a thing.
So this entity found a way to look at itself, by taking the smallest thing it could find, and
shooting it through a gun it could splatter this smallest thing against a wall and out of it would come a small yelp, a small cry for help, a small scream of "ouch, that hurt," a small confused voice saying, “Hey, you’re me, what the hell are you doing, shooting me against that thing, it hurts ya know!” And, this is when the entity laughs. How could it not, how could it not laugh, knowing that it was hurting itself . . . knowing that itself was upset at the fact that it was being shot at this wall to be forced to splatter open, just so this entity that spoke it into existence could take a look at it.
So the observer tried to get a bit tricky; it wanted to not get yelled at by itself. It was thinking that maybe if it didn’t know that it was the one that shot itself at the wall, maybe it wouldn’t get mad and yell at itself and maybe then it wouldn’t laugh, and maybe it would see itself a little clearer.
Trouble is, it knows it’s shooting itself at the wall to splatter itself open to view itself and see
what’s inside, to see itself like it’s looking in the mirror.
And it did.
It hid.
It hid itself and shot itself at the wall, and the smallest thing being shot at the wall still knew what was going on, it wasn’t fooled, it knew it was being shot at the wall by itself so it could see inside itself. So it didn’t do anything. It splattered against the wall, it yelled, “Hey that hurts! Stop it would ya!”
And the observer tried to get tricker. It made two cuts in the wall it was shooting the smallest
things through, one above the other, and then it pointed two different cameras at both of the
slits, and unplugged one of the cameras. It was getting really tricky now. The observer was trying to fool itself into not knowing which camera was plugged in, and the smallest thing getting shot through the wall wouldn’t know which camera was actually plugged in, so it wouldn't know if the observer was actually itself or not. It didn’t matter, though. It still knew. The smallest thing being shot through the wall still knew the observer was itself shooting itself at the wall, and that the observer had set up the cameras and had unplugged one of them. The smallest thing knew it was the top camera in this shooting that had been unplugged because it was itself playing this game on itself, and so when it got splattered on the wall it yelled at the observer, “For crying out loud man! That hurts! Would you stop already, we are one and the same!” The observer just laughed, that confused laugh when one knows something isn't funny but can’t help but laugh because otherwise, the alternative is to actually deal with feelings of inferiority, abandonment, unworthiness, and incompleteness.
The observer tried to get even tricker, and would watch through both cameras and launch
billions of these smallest things through the gun at the wall through the double slit. And when the observer was watching, the smallest things did nothing. They went through as though nothing important was happening because the smallest things knew that it knew what was happening and they did not condone what was happening, they knew it was just trying to see itself to hear itself, and it could just look in a mirror to do this. They would fly through those two slits in that wall and they would land on the other side in circular patterns that demonstrated some sort of sentience, which would obviously happen as the observer was sentient through these smallest entities and these smallest entities were sentient through the observer, as they all were one and the same.
However, then the observer stopped observing completely - which was really difficult to do because the observer was in everything and everything was in the observer. In fact, the
observer's voice was in the smallest particles, the sound that had given the smallest particles
their energy, their essences, their life, the Om, the Amen, the Awen. When the observer found a way to leave completely, the smallest entities acted differently. They came through the slit without any form of sentience, they came through the slits without screaming or yelling when they slammed into the wall; there was no “Ouch” or “Hey man!” They were dead. They had no life, no energy, no existence, no spin, no spark, no sound, no Amen, no Awen, no Om.
Now the observer, when it would come back to observe, noted that the smallest things would respond, their life would come back, and their pattern would change. It would change in advance, even. They would appear in those weird sentient patterns that would appear if the observer was there to observe, and they would scream, all of them would start screaming again in unison, yelling at the observer that it hurt them when they hit the wall, or that there had to be another way to do this.
And again, if the observer would leave and take away all of its being so that there was nothing for the smallest things to be observed by, then the spark would die out and the patterns, those beautiful, sentient patterns, would disappear and there would be nothing but flat lines formed from the lifeless bodies of the smallest things being shot from the gun through the material with the double slit in it, before slamming into the wall.
Creating an Ancestor Altar
By Apprentice Medea Moonstone
Items that I acquired for my altar included my grandfather’s WWII flag (this was the only physical item I had that was his) and my grandmother’s glasses. I have a photo of my grandmother holding me as a baby, a photo of my grandfather and my mother on her wedding day, and one of my father and grandmother on his side holding me as a baby. The picture of my father holding me with his mom is the only picture I have of him. I used these 3 photos because everyone looks extremely happy and as far as I know no one had any quarrels. I have a photo of an angel watching over two children crossing a bridge because that was my grandma’s favorite photo and a small porcelain piece of decor with two lions hugging saying “Loving you happens to be what I do best” that my grandmother bought for me when I was a little girl. I also have a silver bowl that belonged to my grandmother and a matching candle holder. I also found a small incense holder in one of my packed boxes from when I started my craft. Also, recently my oldest found a cardinal feather and I felt it belonged on the altar and I allowed her to place it as well as an offering. I also found my daughter asking me to look at the things I had placed on the bookshelf after it was pieced together and she’d often ask me about grandfathers flag; I let her examine it and oddly enough she hugged it and said “I love you”
I did have my great-great grandfather’s obituary, but I chose not to use it because of the things I experienced at his gravesite with my mom. The ants that had made their home there ate her legs up and when we left her car wouldn’t start for a good 10 minutes. I chose to just leave that alone and put it away with the other items I collected throughout the house. Plus, he was a preacher man and I didn’t think he wanted to be disturbed.
I used graveyard dirt from my grandmother and grandfather's grave because they were buried together. When I went to the cemetery, with my intentions set, I found a small hole already dug in the grave like it was meant for me. I took my dirt and I put a small sachet back into the dirt with all the things my grandmother loved, such as a bit of coffee and a red carnal feather. I burned incense between the two headstones and gave my thanks and I put 3 shiny pennies on the gate and left. I did cleanse myself before and after as well.
I made my own Flordia water with 2 cups of water, ¼ cup of vodka, 6 drops of lavender oil, 2 drops of clove oil, and 8 drops of bergamot oil. I mixed all of my ingredients together and stored them in the refrigerator for about one to two weeks.
I picked a bookshelf in my living room as the space for my altar because I wanted my altar to be seen and known so that if my children or anyone asked I can proudly speak of my family. Then I began cleaning out the top of my bookshelf for my altar. Once the area was clean and ready, construction of my altar was ready to begin.
I didn’t have a white cloth to place on my altar so I had to make one. I found an old white dress that I didn’t wear anymore but was still in a nice condition. I washed it and then I cut it to fit the top of the bookshelf nicely. Then, I sprinkled the area with the Florida Water I made in order to cleanse the space and prepare it to be my altar.
After I had all my items needed I began the construction of my altar. I placed my grandfather’s flag in the center behind my silver bowl. I felt like that should be the centerpiece and be a reminder of his sacrifices. I have my candle next to my silver bowl to the right and a jar of their graveyard dirt to the left. I cannot explain any specific why, it’s just how it fits. I have my family pictures in the right corner as well, near the candle. I have my photo of the angel and the children behind the graveyard dirt, but not so that everything is hidden, and I have my porcelain decor next to the photo of the angel and children between grandfather's flag. I have my grandmother’s glasses in front of the photos of the family. The way I’ve set my altar up looks nice and organized and is really pleasing to the eye and I can’t help but think they are happy knowing it’s there.
I replace my water bowl once or twice a week or if I feel like it needs changing. I really don’t think I need to add anything to my altar until I find some new information or photos of the family I feel really connected to. I think I might print out a photo of aunt Sarah though she seems like a strong-willed woman but I need to do a little research first. Her claiming a lot on the native American heritage may help out a lot in my workings; we'll see in the future.
Between the Covers: New World Witchery by Cory Thomas Hutcheson
By Dean Adservio
If you have any interest in the low magick practiced in North America and Canada, this may just be your authoritative source. From the cunning work of New England, imported from the Old World, to the mountain magic of the Ozarks and the granny magic of the Appalachians, and branching into Southern hoodoo and conjure and beyond, this book ranges far and wide across centuries of folklore and traditional practices in the New World.
The author, Cory Thomas Hutcheson, is a credible and effective guide. He holds a PH.d in folklore and related studies and has been published in a variety of academic and popular journals and magazines. His academic chops are on display with the extensive use of footnotes and citations throughout this book, which elevates it from a merely informative text to a true sourcebook.
Spells and rites of initiation, naming, love, healing, protection, gathering familiars, and meeting spirits are all offered - as well as hundreds more. This work comes solidly recommended and belongs on the bookshelf of any wizard who wants to perform effective low magick.
Ask the Wizard
By Grey Matters Staff
When building one's reputation, getting involved in many organizations/schools of teaching seems like a rational way to me to work on reputation. I have found however that it is very easy to become overwhelmed by belonging to too many organizations/schools and so forth and so on. How would you recommend to build one's reputation... Is there a 'desirable' amount of fires (so to speak) to have one's hands and fingers in, or is there an easy way to identify before it's too late that one is becoming overburdened/overwhelmed with being involved in too many things? I don't usually notice that it's too late or that I'm overwhelmed until I'm overwhelmed, and then I find things drop far quicker from my control as opposed to when I can identify that I'm becoming overwhelmed and that I consciously choose to step back, and to take some time to regroup. I have not yet figured out the science or the magick to this subtle moment.... Do you have recommendations, thoughts, etc? Thank you. Apprentice Macanrothaic
Greetings, Apprentice Macanrothaic! This is something I myself struggle with, so I will offer a few tidbits of experience. First, it is definitely true that involvement is a great way to build a reputation. However, it works both ways. Failing at your commitments because you're overloaded is a great way to torpedo your growing reputation.
My advice is to be judicious with your time and your undertakings. Don't start multiple projects at the same time. Start with one and wait a bit to see how much of your time and energy it takes up; that way you can judge how much more you can handle. Keep a list of your commitments, plans, and to-dos; that way you can glance at it and evaluate how much work you have to do yet; I use an app called Todoist. Learn to be okay with waiting as well. If there is something you want to do but lack the bandwidth, put it on the back burner and don't commit to it until you wrap up a current undertaking and free up some capacity. Generally, start small and add slowly.
Don't forget to leave yourself time for other things. If you budget all your time for organizations and schools, when will you work or go grocery shopping or anything else?