tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86305458140963321642024-02-19T05:10:52.302-10:00Grimoires GaloreNefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-72182948470239115022008-02-19T14:00:00.007-10:002008-02-19T14:47:47.007-10:00COMPLETED GRIMOIRE!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErsldiYCEzyUp14NFd33fC9uNObxFZQDv567G6Dx1ZEotSk3sSgJUdEfO6_9qPE-R1Y62sMOBl2pDUlk71lYy2UULs3cwsSsWVOlpIuQtXaP2AZULCPD3pZwi8pzPjPFMp0Zul0oN52Qq/s1600-h/Composite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErsldiYCEzyUp14NFd33fC9uNObxFZQDv567G6Dx1ZEotSk3sSgJUdEfO6_9qPE-R1Y62sMOBl2pDUlk71lYy2UULs3cwsSsWVOlpIuQtXaP2AZULCPD3pZwi8pzPjPFMp0Zul0oN52Qq/s320/Composite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168857313692568098" border="0" /></a><br />Hello, all! I am ecstatic to announce that my grimoire has finally been constructed! It didn't take as long as I thought it might. With the help of my roommate, it was finished in two sittings. It probably took somewhere between six and ten hours of work. The hardest part of the whole thing was deciding on the materials and the method of construction. We went through roughly five or six design ideas until we finally came up with something we thought would work.<br />So, as promised, here are pictures! In some pictures, it looks a bit odd, because I still need to add more paper to the back in order for the book to be full. Please feel free to tell me what you think! I'm so proud of it and I'm so excited that it's done!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-52733521107789227162007-12-15T16:18:00.001-10:002007-12-15T16:26:37.276-10:00Goings OnHello, everyone!<br />Well, things have been progressing slowly as of late. Between moving in, getting the house in order, and getting two businesses up an running, every else in my life has been getting neglected. I've been ready to start on the cover for my grimoire for quite a while now, but there have been two problems. I haven't been able to decide on a pattern for the cover, and I haven't really had time to think about it. But I've gotten together with some people and thought about the design. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to get this level of intricacy, but the idea is this. Rose vines around the edge as a border, with two bushes growing from the bottom. Through the bushes you'll see cat eyes peeking out at you. I may also put in "Nefabit's Grimoire" in subdued lettering. Not sure how it's going to work yet, but we'll experiment over the weekend.<br />In other news, I have received my lectern! It's just as beautiful as I imagined it, and more! The only problem is that the latch for the lock is a bit off center, and to open it you have to push the top to one side. But Dad is going to move it over for me, so no problems in the end.<br />I'll get some pictures up soon, and when I start making the grimoire, I'll take pictures of each step of the process. Until then!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-33499250804655027832007-09-06T08:17:00.000-10:002007-09-06T08:29:05.497-10:00Ready to get started!Well, I've ordered the final components for my grimoire, and I'm ready to get started! I've got book board, leather, endpapers, screw posts, glue and ribbon! I'll probbly need to wait until things slow down a little bit, but I look forward to it! I've also got my lectern on the way, (see below) so before long I'll have a total setup! Hopefully my next post will be showing off my completed book!<br />Until then!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-37633927295549759362007-08-28T09:12:00.000-10:002007-08-29T10:21:55.466-10:00My finished lectern!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfybMhWAiEUBs0cfQmrYrxfuhyphenhyphenYuB3OzxNoVG3FAHivg-Hm2OZQ41BbRyaEt1gae4HSUgMvlcZuo6kADsARSOqutLHiV7_knQz6sEVmy8uighD2t9MtLI0gyM20FPCPQXzV7I7s7fzQ95f/s1600-h/8-28-2007+2-42-37+AM_0003b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfybMhWAiEUBs0cfQmrYrxfuhyphenhyphenYuB3OzxNoVG3FAHivg-Hm2OZQ41BbRyaEt1gae4HSUgMvlcZuo6kADsARSOqutLHiV7_knQz6sEVmy8uighD2t9MtLI0gyM20FPCPQXzV7I7s7fzQ95f/s320/8-28-2007+2-42-37+AM_0003b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103834064183305234" border="0" /></a><br />I'm so excited! My lectern (courtesy of <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/art2/newrenaissance/">New</a><a href="http://www.angelfire.com/art2/newrenaissance/"> Renaissance Woodcraft</a>) is finally done! It is made of <a href="http://www.exotic-wood.com/purpleheart.htm">purple heartwood</a> (yes, it is naturally that color, and it gets darker over time!) with black leather panels. It also features a built-in compartment to store (and lock away) my grimoire when it's not in use! The lectern was roughly $300. If you'd like a lectern, I highly recommend New Renaissance Woodcraft. They will make your lectern completely customized to your needs. Just ask! I originally wanted to make the lectern out of ebony, but the price would have been over $1000 dollars for such a rare wood. But I am more than happy with the purple heartwood. When I receive it, and when I get settled in (after moving), I'll be sure to post pictures of the lectern in its resting place!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3esnRYKZ5KPHDxGotFeUZd9bkJKzYwPfE3FVagOH9DwhSeL7jKCrK5SyKvKxnZdysysM3hBo5KH_oMiCEiAkYW1AhzkWaPe0O7mbK9OfOuriv6Jkfhfo5_NIEKOTRKga8Ua5ufJMqMpAR/s1600-h/8-28-2007+2-41-38+AM_0001b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3esnRYKZ5KPHDxGotFeUZd9bkJKzYwPfE3FVagOH9DwhSeL7jKCrK5SyKvKxnZdysysM3hBo5KH_oMiCEiAkYW1AhzkWaPe0O7mbK9OfOuriv6Jkfhfo5_NIEKOTRKga8Ua5ufJMqMpAR/s320/8-28-2007+2-41-38+AM_0001b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103834188737356834" border="0" /></a>Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-39079612695616525872007-07-26T22:00:00.000-10:002007-07-26T22:05:11.425-10:00What do you think?Hey everyone! I don't know if anyone still checks up on here because it's been so long, but things have been so busy! I'll be moving home on Tuesday! Yay!<br />So anyway, I was desperately thinking of something to post, and an idea just came to me! What is your grimoire/book of shadows like? Do you keep a disc? Do you have an elaborate leather book? Did you buy it or make it? What inspired you to compile it? What sorts of things do you write about? Leave a comment and tell the world!<br />Oh, and I've updated my jetpack of links, which you can see from the link to the left.<br />Be back soon!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-73121062014541303502007-05-17T10:40:00.000-10:002007-05-17T10:51:15.526-10:00Usefull WebsiteSee, I told you I'd post soon! Anyway, I found a wonderful website called the Internet Sacred text Archive. It's basically a huge database with thousands of religious books, new and old. Two sections of note are the Internet Book of Shadows, <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/index.htm">here</a>, and the Grimoire page, <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/grim/index.htm">here</a>. I think that page is still under development, but it's worthy of bookmarking! Be sure to explore the rest of the site too. It looks like a good way to learn about world religions, not to mention interesting!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-65708798128011866832007-05-16T13:54:00.000-10:002007-05-16T13:56:32.915-10:00Heads UpHello everyone! I'm so sorry it's been a while. I've been so sad to neglect my posting! Things have been busy around here with getting ready to move back to the mainland. I WILL post soon, I promise! However, more future postings will be more sparse until I get settled in Washington!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-29837904171782829672007-05-10T17:29:00.000-10:002007-05-10T17:31:27.336-10:00Speak out to this misinformation site!Hello again everyone. This article is not related to grimoires, but I really want to spread the word about it. Here is a copy of the article I posted to the Witch's Voice . . .<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Today I came across a horrible website that is spreading hate about not only witchcraft and Wicca, but also Judaism and many other peaceful religions! While I think that the site owner may have good intentions (to "save" so-called "evil-doers") , he/she doesn't have a clue what he/she's talking about . . . We as witches, Wiccans, Pagans, etc, have enough trouble with superstitions and hate as it is. Unfortunately, when I searched for "about witchcraft" on Google, this website was the fourth link on the results page. How will we ever be able to face the world without persecution if this and other websites are blaring out our supposed evil ways? Let's speak out to the site owner; tell him or her who we really are. We are not evil criminals out to cause harm in the world. You know as much as I do that we just want to be able to live happy, healthy and peaceful lives. This is one way that we can make a difference. Together we are strong!<br />Here is the link to the page in question:<br />http://www.exposingsatanism.org/witchcraft.htm<br /><br />Much love and light to all,<br /><br />Nefabit</span>Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-62223316772506403322007-05-06T11:43:00.000-10:002007-05-06T11:58:22.793-10:00Language Barrier<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lN4YZ0eNyOpKpiI-wbxOg1bLLCdqBR6Y3nh-gtUPt7VnA9z8wE0rfM3dwx_Fr7Opd-S7uKQ-1L7sylLT-g7iDzMO4GaC_BXNjco1X8XQSSYxOjXuhUg-XfIgmOrvbtFWcABPwp60QPmL/s1600-h/diabolo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lN4YZ0eNyOpKpiI-wbxOg1bLLCdqBR6Y3nh-gtUPt7VnA9z8wE0rfM3dwx_Fr7Opd-S7uKQ-1L7sylLT-g7iDzMO4GaC_BXNjco1X8XQSSYxOjXuhUg-XfIgmOrvbtFWcABPwp60QPmL/s320/diabolo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061567142177587794" border="0" /></a>One of the greatest challenges that comes with studying historic grimoires and occult texts is being able to comprehend what is being read. There are three variations to this challenge; the first would be that most are in languages that are not only foreign, but very different from any modern language. Even if you speak Modern French fluently, it would be difficult to get much out of a text in Old French, as language evolves drastically over hundreds of years. The second challenge is that of reading a text that is translated loosely, though is still written in a style more Shakespearean than modern; it is still readable, but is still trying. The third, and probably the worst, is trying to read a text that has been translated very poorly. Most older translations are translated word for word. This brings up several problems; grammar is often horrible or nonexistent, and hardly any of the "translated" text makes sense. Obviously, this is all quite problematic. With the exception of poorly translated texts (in which case one can find a better edition of the text), the only way to cope with such dilemmas is to practice, practice, practice. I recommend reading Shakespeare plays, old poems, pretty much anything from that era. Doing so is guaranteed to make studying easier and enjoyable.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-66311364295427751912007-05-02T19:53:00.000-10:002007-05-02T20:00:54.443-10:00Grimoires on CD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.occult100.com/store/images/spell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 196px;" src="http://www.occult100.com/store/images/spell.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Today I was tooling around the 'net trying to find something interesting, and lo and behold, I found something! I found two CDs that contain tons of crafty information. One is a compilation of spells, correspondences, theories, articles, how-to's and more. The other contains handy software to help you write your own spells (great to help novices!) and even create magickal watermarks for your grimorie pages! Check them out! The first one can be found <a href="http://www.freebookofshadows.com/">here</a>, and the second one <a href="http://www.safeguardbilling.com/oak/cgibin/cp-app.cgi?pg=store&sub_pg=prod&ref=328">here</a>!<br />Please note that I have not tried either of these CDs, so it is up to you to risk the possibility of infection or fraud. If I check either out, I will be sure to post!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-29549184082897980042007-05-01T09:33:00.000-10:002007-05-01T09:47:27.921-10:00Sacred Mists Grimoires<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEdkEtci1qCPMb30sYBzIg8X3vTwC5H8MtQ5cA76bRh2tR87MBqrdg_FFN45dz_KMgTgLqyMUJ3SeyoNy-ORXo32DDoHn8Uu4lOH9kEJP-piY9gTz9H9Fp_YD_atiMKy9pFQIl0Il8Okd/s1600-h/cag+binder.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEdkEtci1qCPMb30sYBzIg8X3vTwC5H8MtQ5cA76bRh2tR87MBqrdg_FFN45dz_KMgTgLqyMUJ3SeyoNy-ORXo32DDoHn8Uu4lOH9kEJP-piY9gTz9H9Fp_YD_atiMKy9pFQIl0Il8Okd/s320/cag+binder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059679873418183202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sacred Mists is a wonderful store with a huge selection of products. One of their highlights is the Create-A-Grimoire system, designed to make grimoire crafting easy and fun! Their binders are scrapbook-style and post bound, and come in a wide variety of materials from leather to silk. They also have a huge selection of parchment and paper to choose from, as well as scrap booking embellishments to add some sparkle and fun to your pages! These ready to make grimoires are perfect for someone with a whimsical taste. To check them out, go <a href="http://www.sacredmists.com/cr.html">here</a>!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-43643909423026975362007-04-29T10:29:00.000-10:002007-04-29T10:46:43.498-10:00Florentine Papers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_TV14Vn-viX0TTqjD2PYwwMzX0QtZPum8tzgEFGYJ3t8xQRrqFsXHRfbqV3CH3ATOgNdkbj0De3Ly6Gkg7EQ9xH2RAX4Vk8a6oP5vQWzo_IajHuXmeBZjIZP-5-EQf6HjLJC5EYGtmhyphenhyphen/s1600-h/florentine+birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_TV14Vn-viX0TTqjD2PYwwMzX0QtZPum8tzgEFGYJ3t8xQRrqFsXHRfbqV3CH3ATOgNdkbj0De3Ly6Gkg7EQ9xH2RAX4Vk8a6oP5vQWzo_IajHuXmeBZjIZP-5-EQf6HjLJC5EYGtmhyphenhyphen/s320/florentine+birds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058950252963873186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo8s7UGC1LuXBYlyBW-sAT7XhljIskzO_dX2IawSFl6LqBKynZzWkZQHCBKZXSzLIPpv-_sd-Qeu3IixG3a_20IMfz7kvzso9iCD_1yZoeGPa3xPCt0G5Wz7Snir01_758FSEiLv166n_/s1600-h/florentine+flowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo8s7UGC1LuXBYlyBW-sAT7XhljIskzO_dX2IawSFl6LqBKynZzWkZQHCBKZXSzLIPpv-_sd-Qeu3IixG3a_20IMfz7kvzso9iCD_1yZoeGPa3xPCt0G5Wz7Snir01_758FSEiLv166n_/s320/florentine+flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058953100527190482" border="0" /></a><br />Florentine papers are by far my favorite - for bookbinding and everything else! When I'm done with my grimoire, I'm going to pick another Florentine paper for whatever my next project may be. These papers are so beautiful! They are inspired by traditional Italian patterns from the Renaissance and are now made by Rossi Cartotecnica in Florence, Italy, just like they were centuries ago. I have samples of some of these patterns, and I can tell you that the pictures do not do them justice. The pigments are so vibrant, with gold accents that are harder to see in the picture. Even so, you should really click on the picture to see the full size image. If you're interested in these papers, the best selection I have found is at Paper Mojo on<a href="http://www.papermojo.com/classic/rossi+classic+florentine+prints.html"> this page</a>.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-47116804068961783992007-04-28T17:06:00.000-10:002007-04-29T12:15:08.276-10:00More Inspiration!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-HCl33jcgQpz9Qx3IwmRHk1yCQXcvq20Tz8B1tJ661lUfBixQZpkoBVRORuaDO-ZIER7cscVP7P8Q7m5BThX4B016MOfVtb4ki7kexi-E9flNQbpU1bQkB4zHOl77TjcoIArNbRKtRvl/s1600-h/found+in+faery+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 479px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-HCl33jcgQpz9Qx3IwmRHk1yCQXcvq20Tz8B1tJ661lUfBixQZpkoBVRORuaDO-ZIER7cscVP7P8Q7m5BThX4B016MOfVtb4ki7kexi-E9flNQbpU1bQkB4zHOl77TjcoIArNbRKtRvl/s320/found+in+faery+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058682972854075762" border="0" /></a>These beautiful books are crafted by <a href="http://myceliae.deviantart.com/">Myceliae</a>. I was impressed with her unique style, and she inspired me to get some work done!<br />She hand makes these books from beginning to end. She dyes the leather, binds the pages and even gilds the edges! As you can gather from her gallery on DeviantArt, she also has an interest in mushrooms and mycology. (Me too!)<br />These books are a wonderful example of craftsmanship that is hard to find in our modern world of machines and cheap manufacturing. Her profile is well worth checking out! Y0u can see all her books as well as her pictures and paintings!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLRCid3mfG_9N8QzNWW-WLtCXaEeo3P-GOI2xm0lZpiIthsNVO3_BnoWcdSHojgoGi354qJd97tYwiRzaJ7U7Dy3LsXN40N4cL4N4rc4hdUHQzMdIZKe_weUAOsx53bs_aw9ZMkaWQvee/s1600-h/montage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 453px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLRCid3mfG_9N8QzNWW-WLtCXaEeo3P-GOI2xm0lZpiIthsNVO3_BnoWcdSHojgoGi354qJd97tYwiRzaJ7U7Dy3LsXN40N4cL4N4rc4hdUHQzMdIZKe_weUAOsx53bs_aw9ZMkaWQvee/s320/montage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058685395215630722" border="0" /></a>Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-25712627395547377972007-04-25T16:22:00.000-10:002007-08-29T10:26:02.113-10:00What is your grimoire really worth?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU-_zSj938Jw_Sz7KpNssWUwsN2DC_UqmmGJJ68b3Wk-ENps4iB4L1ZioqNQj-hPWhcf0L1Q9wumzVMsYaNIh5ay6nx4WXfkjjtZbuOXaFLlVr-Nbj_F3hN-IPhb1qcMpCZDgL0pnFu8m/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU-_zSj938Jw_Sz7KpNssWUwsN2DC_UqmmGJJ68b3Wk-ENps4iB4L1ZioqNQj-hPWhcf0L1Q9wumzVMsYaNIh5ay6nx4WXfkjjtZbuOXaFLlVr-Nbj_F3hN-IPhb1qcMpCZDgL0pnFu8m/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057557403659714882" border="0" /></a>It's a question worth asking. If you read the previous post I'm sure you're thinking about what you can do to prevent loosing of damaging your grimoire. But sometimes it can't be avoided, and if you do loose your precious book, it's a good idea to be able to receive some funds to make a new one. How do you do that? Again, with an ounce of prevention. Make a list of all the supplies you have bought for your grimoire, from paper and ink to binding glue and book leather. Think back to the beginning. If your grimoire was once housed by something different such as a three ring binder, include that into your costs. If you write by hand, include an estimated cost of the pens you have used, whether that includes three 20 count packs of ball point Bic pens or a Chaeyhane feather dip pen and four bottles of Aladine calligraphy ink. Have you bought a thumb drive or other portable gadget to store your digital grimoire? Count that in. If you do hand illustrate your book, include all art supplies used. Just really scour the nooks and crannies of your mind to include every penny you spent on your grimoire.<br />So what good will all of this do? Well, not only will this reinforce your appreciation of your grimoire, but even better, you can insure it so that if it is ever lost, stolen or destroyed, you can claim that money to cover the costs of replacement. And once you calculate how much money went into making your grimoire, you'll really appreciate that security. You will also know how much to insure your grimoire for if you must ship or mail it somewhere.<br />To give you an idea of what your grimoire is worth, check out <a href="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w257/nefabit/grimoirecosts.jpg?t=1177560320">this</a> image, a list of all the expenses of making my grimoire.<br />As a final tip, make sure to keep a copy of the costs in at least two places!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-62515613148648121362007-04-24T11:07:00.000-10:002007-04-24T13:20:37.722-10:00The secure grimoire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5klsPcf6UR5CgsW8cKjl34yFezdurKgge14zGiZ3fssCGsEtfRfr29sc1yAZ2C9wV3KvNYjKhlzjwyNhyphenhyphenwthNktTeVU_eMU1DGWgAJ688AlRPexaazd0P_ifoT2b39D-VWfclNwPC_1YP/s1600-h/dpadlock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5klsPcf6UR5CgsW8cKjl34yFezdurKgge14zGiZ3fssCGsEtfRfr29sc1yAZ2C9wV3KvNYjKhlzjwyNhyphenhyphenwthNktTeVU_eMU1DGWgAJ688AlRPexaazd0P_ifoT2b39D-VWfclNwPC_1YP/s320/dpadlock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057138508491411458" border="0" /></a><br />It's a very good idea to have numerous back-ups of your grimoire. It takes so much time and effort to write, compile, create and organize a grimoire, and with only one copy, if something happened to it, all of your efforts would be lost forever. Of course, the first step is to take care of your corporeal grimoire. Keep it away from children, don't leave water sitting next to it, don't eat over it and don't leave it just anywhere. If you go on vacation, leave your grimoire with a trusted friend and bring a backup copy with you. If you move, never, ever, ever let the movers pack it up! Keep your grimoire with you, or else send it ahead of you by insured, registered mail. Things <span style="font-style: italic;">will </span>get lost or stolen in the hands of movers (I've moved six times in my life, now going on seven). So, with a dose of common sense and an ounce of prevention, your grimoire will be fine. The next step is to back up the information. If you hand write your grimoire, copy all of the pages by scanning or typing them into the computer. Save the files in a good rich text editor and create files and folders as you wish. Or, if you type and print out your information, just be sure to save it all in one place. Ok, good! Now you have it in two places. But what if something happens to your computer? Save all the files on a cd or two. Keep one in a safe place within the house and send the other one to a close friend. If something happens to your house, you'll at least still have the information. Another good idea is to have a portable, shareable version. I have a copy of my grimoire on a thumb drive, which I can carry with me to coven meetings, etc, when it might be useful to share my information. This, of course, is much more practical than lugging around a seven pound book! Last, but not least, be sure to update all of your backups regularly as you add more to your grimoire.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-25393734520131398252007-04-24T00:00:00.000-10:002007-04-24T13:15:28.213-10:00Desktop icons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N_oi96maC-TIYJdmxjZqKPBC6GcVxctS2L8syWsg_FjhnVp2qcT0izm_BfgTakh3SUjz8H_Po5FqN596lZJkgWlFf4_DvMQZQXATld4-WXAakbYBR63rH2cSZkQQhA4a8-iHX0Hf-3RE/s1600-h/Grimoires_by_WickedDesktop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N_oi96maC-TIYJdmxjZqKPBC6GcVxctS2L8syWsg_FjhnVp2qcT0izm_BfgTakh3SUjz8H_Po5FqN596lZJkgWlFf4_DvMQZQXATld4-WXAakbYBR63rH2cSZkQQhA4a8-iHX0Hf-3RE/s320/Grimoires_by_WickedDesktop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056932955651592178" border="0" /></a>If you have a digital copy of your grimoire (which is a <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> good idea), it's fun to dress up the folder with a pretty icon! I have a link to my digital grimoire on my desktop, and it had a poorly made icon, but these are way better. The download is clean, and they work smoothly. (I used the one to the right of the text) You can find this pack and others <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40227674/?q=grimoires&qh=boost%3Apopular+age_sigma%3A24h+age_scale%3A5">here</a>!<br />Next post: Why you should have copies and backups in various places and how to do it best.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-5369805135519547562007-04-23T23:37:00.000-10:002007-04-29T10:48:58.217-10:00Inspiration for your grimoire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfBM_O1yTixxH-gOyP830RrZOuLlhbAbw8XSR9jD_pJzZnaphDb2mzjiPG6KobJ7Fwol2VXclkdzZ7AW7r4MiNOq_zSFKGtfKfkLFQFCpCsqvmNljxIRH2pcJu2vpIsTcP0bT4o7dHolN/s1600-h/Tigressong_Grimoire_pg_22_by_tigressinger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfBM_O1yTixxH-gOyP830RrZOuLlhbAbw8XSR9jD_pJzZnaphDb2mzjiPG6KobJ7Fwol2VXclkdzZ7AW7r4MiNOq_zSFKGtfKfkLFQFCpCsqvmNljxIRH2pcJu2vpIsTcP0bT4o7dHolN/s320/Tigressong_Grimoire_pg_22_by_tigressinger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058954857168814594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcqNHwSQEfWYytWWGJQtGOlmnADdDjRyqTCYl97FzHCdk3U85SlAs5ybro1aPqvvVYoZgJAlqPlX-7T50zunFDs3lwCdidRsiGqRBPEHcEEplsH_wcK8tb04SVLtUw2NpL9xZRXb7Vb61/s1600-h/Tigressong_Grimoire_pg_13_by_tigressinger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcqNHwSQEfWYytWWGJQtGOlmnADdDjRyqTCYl97FzHCdk3U85SlAs5ybro1aPqvvVYoZgJAlqPlX-7T50zunFDs3lwCdidRsiGqRBPEHcEEplsH_wcK8tb04SVLtUw2NpL9xZRXb7Vb61/s320/Tigressong_Grimoire_pg_13_by_tigressinger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056929296339455938" border="0" /></a><br />I was browsing around on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">DeviantArt</a> this evening looking for something interesting to post about. Well, I found something!<br />Here are a few pages hand painted by <a href="http://tigressinger.deviantart.com/">Tigressong</a> in her hand bound grimoire that she made herself. (She made the paper too!) Her artwork is very unique, in sort of a collage style. If you want to know more about her inspiration, go to her gallery and read about her and her art. Then have a look at all of her artwork and start mulling around ideas of your own!<br />I'm intending to find more grimoire content/art/information to give you inspiration! There is so much out there . . . You know, (detour!) I remember when I first read about grimoires or books of shadows. It was in some Wicca book, and it was described pretty much as "a hand written copy of the coven's rituals and rules, sometimes written in code."<br />How boring. Make it a work of art! An extension of yourself!<br />The grimoire is your most important tool. Make it reflect your personality.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-8208847859855456852007-04-23T21:53:00.000-10:002007-04-24T13:22:12.322-10:00ChaeyAhne SilverFox Designs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-mWTEufeiZgm9DQUVFuimJUA1_ZSR4GdqP46sOp8wezBY5SKCZEZhek9eHIgH4qUISfjqUoXQcY1FeEbJVGgi4tQGGlrEub1ribOtXkRvNjb1EOGwIZzbGKCYzPTHLgTlFHuOoeCc1oZ/s1600-h/quillcarnivali2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 297px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-mWTEufeiZgm9DQUVFuimJUA1_ZSR4GdqP46sOp8wezBY5SKCZEZhek9eHIgH4qUISfjqUoXQcY1FeEbJVGgi4tQGGlrEub1ribOtXkRvNjb1EOGwIZzbGKCYzPTHLgTlFHuOoeCc1oZ/s320/quillcarnivali2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056905004004429698" border="0" /></a><br />These pens are *stunning* and are absolutely perfect for writing in your grimoire! Even though I don't hand write in my grimoire, I do some calligraphy and some segments of my grimoire are handwritten. I want one of these. The only problem is that I can't decide which one I want! ChaeyAhne works with so many styles, there's something for everyone! . . . If you can decide. :P<br />Each one is hand crafted, and are OOAK. (one of a kind) ChaeyAhne has been making these works of art for nearly three decades. She also makes a wide variety of other items, including smudge fans, herbal mixes and more! If you're not totally enthralled, you're weird. And if you are, check out her site <a href="http://stores.chaeyahne.com/StoreFront.bok">here</a>. Enjoy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeviVaczyR8yXbR5IjMZb8GzvVdX4QzbpN_FzgcjL90BFTS_8qV81vv2YkOoqGRJTPdvX638pSzaaZVbyEG_N7RijKKHhh0iNh_WJQA23tu9nPrYaioGfooJul0ZPrloodZO7w7Ys99r2V/s1600-h/QuillHunningbirdA.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeviVaczyR8yXbR5IjMZb8GzvVdX4QzbpN_FzgcjL90BFTS_8qV81vv2YkOoqGRJTPdvX638pSzaaZVbyEG_N7RijKKHhh0iNh_WJQA23tu9nPrYaioGfooJul0ZPrloodZO7w7Ys99r2V/s320/QuillHunningbirdA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056905747033771922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gt3hK95U5dWXrJSbeBuZsybPonqbTVDV-vaEVFzlfE6pVatZtzu5pi97lxsX2CNFZLPdMKVhXCGYeIOdbWc945Oieg8b99BjadUxbDk0U6PBwsJLTQCcSfnO7yhHTJWg8jX8bC-GXlyz/s1600-h/RavenQUill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gt3hK95U5dWXrJSbeBuZsybPonqbTVDV-vaEVFzlfE6pVatZtzu5pi97lxsX2CNFZLPdMKVhXCGYeIOdbWc945Oieg8b99BjadUxbDk0U6PBwsJLTQCcSfnO7yhHTJWg8jX8bC-GXlyz/s320/RavenQUill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056906133580828594" border="0" /></a>Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-78211339362571758142007-04-22T17:49:00.000-10:002007-04-23T12:13:17.393-10:00Rare Occult Booksellers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPllLzHN6CnIXb29urZuKOBrIlSZ8EjhG66QoDPyk4RHdtwjxKmGiTUnerfzEjAw3ZA77LveZFgdXQU73lJxPvcddrtEzFj3-f9_JOYKs2G6wdNNf28k4GBvoIu0kVJq3Klk3IEyhMktp3/s1600-h/signatura-middle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPllLzHN6CnIXb29urZuKOBrIlSZ8EjhG66QoDPyk4RHdtwjxKmGiTUnerfzEjAw3ZA77LveZFgdXQU73lJxPvcddrtEzFj3-f9_JOYKs2G6wdNNf28k4GBvoIu0kVJq3Klk3IEyhMktp3/s320/signatura-middle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056468502183169858" border="0" /></a><br />Well, so far I've discovered two sellers of antique, first edition, rare and out of print occult books. The first one I found, <a href="http://www.magicklibrary.com/">The Magickal Library</a>, also sells new items, herbs, and occult artifacts. The second, <a href="http://www.wierus.com/">Wierus Occult Antiques</a>, sells extremely rare, antique books, many of them original first edition copies of hard to find texts that are hundreds of years old (yet in very good condition). If and when I become rich, this is what I'll be spending money on. Ok, maybe <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1GcINrgzGZkKJNdF4TqAWgYyv8ozi48rE7phOtSK6HP_sSZouzMV_4y0wFTeC6z80yOMncH3f7Zb39wVt7plh_inPJNPPale0et-PvwXctYJBX7yhmwsb1192gMI8gh1S56gnUAbOQH3/s1600-h/binding1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1GcINrgzGZkKJNdF4TqAWgYyv8ozi48rE7phOtSK6HP_sSZouzMV_4y0wFTeC6z80yOMncH3f7Zb39wVt7plh_inPJNPPale0et-PvwXctYJBX7yhmwsb1192gMI8gh1S56gnUAbOQH3/s320/binding1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056468377629118258" border="0" /></a>after I have beautiful antique European furniture throughout my house. These books go for thousands of dollars, but oh, they're worth it. When you consider the information inside them, concealed for centuries, and the fact that in many cases there are as few as two left in the world, yeah. It's worth it. Sometimes the whole language barrier could be a problem, because most of these are in Old English, French, Latin, German, Italian or Spanish, and sometimes Arabic and Tibetan. Oh well, I plan on becoming multi-lingual anyway.Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-58453152101728258962007-04-21T18:46:00.000-10:002007-04-23T12:14:10.568-10:00The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3XXNEhjwF7MBI6sMgvF9l7phMjB1jhCBt6U0dSrD2WRYKyvTRjts_SUyN9Wvr4Vi0dniPapdtISeqdidg4KtyEs8wQGlu2RoGQdwy81b__rALPYKvhJpBu8rpKWxGqRTRoW1bE0JpXX5/s1600-h/BOOK2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 445px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3XXNEhjwF7MBI6sMgvF9l7phMjB1jhCBt6U0dSrD2WRYKyvTRjts_SUyN9Wvr4Vi0dniPapdtISeqdidg4KtyEs8wQGlu2RoGQdwy81b__rALPYKvhJpBu8rpKWxGqRTRoW1bE0JpXX5/s320/BOOK2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056111392832376610" border="0" /></a><br />Again with the not-being-related-to-grimoires<br />thing, but . . . this is just so beautiful. I actually found this last year, and I remembered it when I came across a similar book. This picture does <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> do the binding justice. The picture I had found before was much better, but I couldn't find it! :( The Rubaiyat is a book of Persian poetry by Omar Khayyam. (I suppose that "Rubaiyat" means poetry) One of the original copies of the book was believed to have been lost when the Titanic sank.<br />Now, I must go eat.<br /><br />Meren heart<br />Nefabit :3Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-37522886013312984052007-04-21T18:40:00.000-10:002007-04-24T00:07:58.386-10:00The Gutenberg ProjectWow, this is way cool! I stumbled across this while researching my last post. <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page">This</a> website offers <span style="font-style: italic;">free</span> electronic copies of 20,000 books whose copyrights have expired in America! Pretty cool!Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-44494266199119680272007-04-21T18:11:00.000-10:002007-04-24T13:23:41.985-10:00The Grimoire of Pope Honorious III<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ0XJ3h_ym6twU_2sg_tgZcOttVwVF8UTNG92QFfv9hoUS5mcsS0Xrd1UrA_eehhefjAT240kZDh1jAb5ENtDMO0GZORN3mdnPtRPgExsdM0SEpVRrFnWFG31MYrXR8WYLhimtyc7Ayd4/s1600-h/150px-B_Honorius_III3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQ0XJ3h_ym6twU_2sg_tgZcOttVwVF8UTNG92QFfv9hoUS5mcsS0Xrd1UrA_eehhefjAT240kZDh1jAb5ENtDMO0GZORN3mdnPtRPgExsdM0SEpVRrFnWFG31MYrXR8WYLhimtyc7Ayd4/s320/150px-B_Honorius_III3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056105882389335794" border="0" /></a><br />Isn't the above statement a bit of an oxymoron? A grimoire written by a <span style="font-style: italic;">Pope</span>?! Well, yes. Apparently he justified his writing with the statement that priests should be able to work with demons so as to control them. Which, I happen to agree with him. (<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">detour!</span>) See, I have always disagreed with the Wiccan notion that we should not study black magick. What closed minded thinking! How are we supposed to defend out witchy selves from goblins and demons and other assorted nasties if we don't know anything about them, what they are or how they work? I actually applaud Pope Honorius III. Very logical and modern thinking. Especially considering that he reigned during the 13th century. (He looks like he's sleeping in this portrait)<br />Unfortunately, I have not been able to get my little paws on a copy of his 120 page blaspheming manual as of yet, as the title is currently going for between $500 and $2,000. I'll surely find a cheap copy when I get back to the mainland. Hopefully I'll find a copy in an antique store, and hopefully the shopkeeper won't know what it's worth. Wouldn't it be just wonderful if I could get a copy for five dollars? I cna't wait to be able to go book hunting (detour again!) There are only a few antique stores on Oahu, and the prices are jacked up because the price of land and rent is so high<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu6TdthyPDMlPPZ94BUbrlOjHm_aYecaa53NypBXJKl7d7pEwTOXz_GYLLZFAdNY0drZ62K8wZfaDKCZe-OVwPI7SJzAGoy3T3xD-csSjAtLIPuffzaovmWnTv6raCkV82skgTdbvqVGJ/s1600-h/1879000091.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu6TdthyPDMlPPZ94BUbrlOjHm_aYecaa53NypBXJKl7d7pEwTOXz_GYLLZFAdNY0drZ62K8wZfaDKCZe-OVwPI7SJzAGoy3T3xD-csSjAtLIPuffzaovmWnTv6raCkV82skgTdbvqVGJ/s320/1879000091.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_AA240_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056105143654960866" border="0" /></a> and there aren't very many antiques here, considering it's only been modernized for about 50 years. So, anyway, I don't have one yet, so I can't really tell you what's in it. But apparently people really want it.<br />Apparently, this is what the available printing looks like. If I happen to find this copy for cheap, I'd buy it, but I'd prefer to have a pretty hardbound copy of such a book. Perhaps I'll get lucky. Or, of course, I could always make my own binding for it! Yes, I think bookbinding is a good skill. And with a glue bound book it would be very easy to disassemble the thing. Of course, I'd have to sew it myself, but the stitch is not that hard. I think the hardest part of bookbinding would be folding the signatures. Luckily I don't have to do that, and hopefully I won't have to at any point. I'll have to post about how to do that specifically. It's all complicated and icky. I'd have to find good illustrations, though. I must snoop.<br />Meren heart,<br />Nefabit :3Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-41365183289157075962007-04-21T17:36:00.000-10:002007-04-23T12:16:27.737-10:00Was the Gutenburg Press Stolen?I read an interesting paper somewhere a while back that I just now remembered. Ok, so it isn't really related to grimoires at all, but hey, it's my blog after all. Anyway, the article said that the original idea for the printing press was, in fact, <span style="font-style: italic;">stolen</span>! Too bad they hadn't invented patents back then. The story goes that the printing press was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> in fact invented by Johann Gutenburg, but rather a Dutch woodworker named Laurens Coster. Laurens came across a birch tree while out in the forest looking for wood and decided to carve some letters out of the bark to take to his children. He wrapped them in his handkerchief and started for home. When he arrived, he saw that the sap had stained the handkerchief, which gave him a brilliant idea: using blocks of wood to create type. However, after he began working, someone caught wind of the idea and stole the supplies while Laurens was at Mass. He sold the idea and supplies to Johann Gutenburg, who then decided that using metal would be more practical and durable than wood. And of course, the rest is history.<br />Now, allow me to state that I do not know if this story is true. But, true or not, it is an interesting story. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if the story were true, but I noticed something that was a bit off. How could a woodcutter in the 1400s have been literate? In general, only nobility were taught to read and write during that time. I suppose he could have been taught the alphabet by a customer if he was commissioned to create an alphabet board for some noble children, but other than that I don't see how. In any case, it is a lovely, wonderful story.<br /><br />Meren heart,<br />Nefabit :3Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-84684008899789312912007-04-21T12:27:00.000-10:002007-04-23T12:16:05.877-10:00Ideas for my dedication ceremonyWell, with my supplies on the way I've been thinking about my dedication ceremony. I don't want a fluffy ritual found in any of my books, but rather I want to devise my own. Something special. I'm actually thinking of having two, one here to dedicate it to its new binding and to put my mark on it, and one to connect it with its home when we get back to Washington. Yes . . . I think that's a good idea. But I can't decide where I want to hold the first one. I don't want to take it out anywhere, like to Kaneana Cave of Kolekole Pass, which is where I do many of my workings, but I don't necessarily want to do it here. I also can't decide if I want other people present or not. It's an important event for me, so I'd like to share it, but then again, sharing a few "secrets" with my grimoire will give it a certain amount of power.<br />Well, enough about what I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't </span>know. What I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> know is that I want to sing a blessing (I'll supply the lyrics at the end of the post) and I want to mark it with my blood. I actually got the idea from Fiona Horne, in her book LA Witch. She and her coven purchased those diabetic thumb pricker thingies and stamped their thumb prints on the book in blood. Now I'm not usually one for blood (in fact, in five years I've not done any magick working involving blood), but <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> is a good idea. In fact, it's a great idea, because marking it with my blood will endow an extremely strong magickal connection between me and it. I also want to annoint the leather with my personal scented oil, which will also condition it quite nicely, not to mention make it smell good. So, in essence, the purpose of the first ceremony will be to connect the book to me, and the second one to connect the book to my home and land so it won't . . . you know, get up and walk away. :P No, not really. So that it will be grounded as well as in tune with the energies there, which will make it more powerful. Pretty cool stuff . . .<br />Anyway, enough of my ramblings. (here's the lyrics, by Gary Stalder)<br /><br />Ancient time is reaching on<br />Ever turning like the sun<br />Secrets hidden shown to me<br />Voices ring that I may see<br />Time has come to start again<br />Washed clean by the falling rain<br />Gold and silver starlight sea<br />Wash your magic over me<br />Shadow figures in the light<br />Say that too loose is to find<br />Raise the veil of those who see<br />Show the mystery to me<br />And behind the dark and dole<br />Lies a treasure, shining gold<br />A lullaby here in the deep<br />Show the mystery to me<br /><br />This song just screams magic to me. I love it, and I want to use it for my grimoire ceremony. If you think about the lyrics, you can see how it describes the journey a grimoire takes us on.<br /><br />Meren heart,<br />Nefabit :3Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630545814096332164.post-62172274791245260122007-04-21T11:50:00.000-10:002007-04-21T18:37:29.877-10:00Styles of BindingI believe that the best way to bind a grimoire is through the screw post system. This binding style allows one to move pages around without having to take the whole book apart, which is ideal for those who prefer to print out pages or draw artwork in the book. This is an especially good advantage with larger tomes that would be hard to work in without the advantage of removing pages. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as strong as a traditionally bound book, but it still serves its purpose tremendously well. The pages of this style will always lie flat, which is a great advantage. Another advantage of this system is that if the number of pages outgrow their binding, you can add an extension to the screw posts and make a new back piece. Of course, it is better to create the book to allow more room than you think you need, and put blank pages in the back to hold the shape. Also, one should not make a book too thick, as the thicker the book becomes, the weaker the spine will be, no matter what binding style is used.<br />Coming in at second place is the traditional binding system, sometimes called perfect binding, which is the most durable and beautiful style. The folios, or signatures, are sewn to a backing cloth, usually linen, and the cloth is sewn at the sides to the spine. What this allows is for the book to lie flat without damaging the signatures. If you look at a well bound book from the top when it is opened, you will see that the backs of the pages bend upward, allowing the book to stay open. This style is particularly sturdy due to the fact that the pages are sewn together, and they have no holes that can rip and tear. If you drop the book, it is less likely to be damaged than a post bound book. However, there are plenty of disadvantages to traditional bindings too. The first and foremost being that the pages are not removable. You cannot print out the pages, and so are forced to hand write them. If you spill ink, make a mistake or simply wish to remove the page . . . too bad. Technically you can remove the pages, but that feat takes skill, time, and patience.<br />There are other styles of binding as well, but not many of them suit grimories very well, especially if the book is more than an inch thick, which of course is common for grimories. Case binding is similar to perfect binding, but the pages cannot bend out, and so it is much easier to damage the spine and the pages often will not lie flat. In fact, it is common for this binding style to only open halfway, forcing the reader to hold one of the sides straight up, while the other side lies flat. Of course, hand writing in a style like this is practically impossible.<br />Styles such as comb binding, spiral binding and ring binding are practical in the early stages of grimoire development (mine is still in a three inch binder, eagerly awaiting its new home), but is very impractical in the long run. Three ring binding is weak, and pages will often tear out due to the loose binding. Comb binding allows the pages to lie completely flat, but is very weak for large amounts of paper, and pages are not easily removed. Spiral binding would allow you to remove pages, but with some difficulty, and again is no good for large amounts of paper. <a href="http://www.capitolpress.com/common-binding-styles.html">Here</a> is a link to a page that illustrates different styles of binding.<br />And for now, ttfn!<br /><br />Meren hear,<br />Nefabit :3<br /><br /><div style="border: 2px solid orange; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px; display: none; z-index: 99998;" id="Clipmarks1153BorderDiv1925"></div><div style="border: 2px solid orange; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px; display: none; z-index: 99998;" id="Clipmarks2138BorderDiv9331"></div><div style="border: 2px solid orange; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; height: 0px; display: none; z-index: 99998;" id="Clipmarks3477BorderDiv4404"></div><div style="border: 2px solid orange; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; height: 0px; display: none; z-index: 99998;" id="Clipmarks468BorderDiv1845"></div>Nefabithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802457845637522883noreply@blogger.com0