COMPLETED GRIMOIRE!

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.
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!

Ready 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!
Until then!

My finished lectern!

I'm so excited! My lectern (courtesy of New Renaissance Woodcraft) is finally done! It is made of purple heartwood (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!

What 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!
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!
Oh, and I've updated my jetpack of links, which you can see from the link to the left.
Be back soon!

Usefull Website

See, 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, here, and the Grimoire page, here. 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!

Speak 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 . . .

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!
Here is the link to the page in question:
http://www.exposingsatanism.org/witchcraft.htm

Much love and light to all,

Nefabit

Grimoires on CD

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 here, and the second one here!
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!

What is your grimoire really worth?

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.
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.
To give you an idea of what your grimoire is worth, check out this image, a list of all the expenses of making my grimoire.
As a final tip, make sure to keep a copy of the costs in at least two places!

The secure grimoire

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 will 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.

Inspiration for your grimoire

I was browsing around on DeviantArt this evening looking for something interesting to post about. Well, I found something!
Here are a few pages hand painted by Tigressong 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!
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."
How boring. Make it a work of art! An extension of yourself!
The grimoire is your most important tool. Make it reflect your personality.

ChaeyAhne SilverFox Designs

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
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 here. Enjoy!

The Grimoire of Pope Honorious III

Isn't the above statement a bit of an oxymoron? A grimoire written by a Pope?! 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. (detour!) 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)
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 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.
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.
Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

Ideas for my dedication ceremony

Well, 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.
Well, enough about what I don't know. What I do 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 this 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 . . .
Anyway, enough of my ramblings. (here's the lyrics, by Gary Stalder)

Ancient time is reaching on
Ever turning like the sun
Secrets hidden shown to me
Voices ring that I may see
Time has come to start again
Washed clean by the falling rain
Gold and silver starlight sea
Wash your magic over me
Shadow figures in the light
Say that too loose is to find
Raise the veil of those who see
Show the mystery to me
And behind the dark and dole
Lies a treasure, shining gold
A lullaby here in the deep
Show the mystery to me

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.

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

Styles of Binding

I 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.
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.
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.
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. Here is a link to a page that illustrates different styles of binding.
And for now, ttfn!

Meren hear,
Nefabit :3

What beautiful lecterns!

These gorgeous lecterns are made by the company New Renaissance Woodcraft. I found their website through Brahm's Bookworks, and boy was I excited! These are perfect for displaying grimoires and other magickal texts! I want one . . . I am currently working with the owner on designing a custom lectern for me! I hope to have it made out of ebony, and although it would considerably jack up the price (probbly twice as much), it would definitely be worth it. Ebony is a very powerful wood. Its qualities predominantly include power, protection and strength. To top it off, my wand is made from ebony. It would be ideal for my magickal tools to have something that ties them together, as that greatly enhances their power. One of the great things about these lecterns is that they have a compartment inside! The craftsman/owner has told me that he can make it big enough to store my 12x9x4 grimoire! This will be a great advantage and will save me space! I'll have a place to store my grimoire away from dust and humidity, but when I wish to read it, I won't have to lug it very far or strain my neck whilst reading it in my lap. How ingenious! I can't wait. Now, these images are examples of the owner's craftmanship. The top one is crafted out of ash and stained darker. The one on the bottom is crafted out of purple heart, which is a very interesting wood!
You can find out more about purple heart here.
Of course, it will be a while before I can buy a lectern of my own. Right now I am waiting for the price of my book leather to be calculated, and the total of my order at Talas is probbly going to ring in round 200 dollars. After that, I'm going to have to save up around four hundred dollars for the lectern. (it would be much cheaper if I settled for a different wood, buy you know me.) Damn me and me expensive taste. But oh well. One of my sayings is "It is better to have a few objects that you care for than to have a thousand objects of little or no value to you." Yes, you may quote me.

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

Exotic Leathers

Well, our trip to the fabric store has been delayed, so I hopped back on the computer and found myself at the cyber doorstep of an exotic leather retailer. They offer rare and strange leathers such as alligator, ostrich, stingray, shark, snake, lizard, fish and chicken! The only thing they didn't have was toad leather. But alas, I found it here. :P It would be very interesting to match the animal skin to the purpose of the book one is binding. Say if you were writing a grimoire about aquatic magick, ocean legends and astral water creatures, shark or stingray leather would be very interesting. I must admit, I am a bit tempted by the toad leather. However, as cool as that would be, I think I'll stick with calf leather. Not to mention that anyone who already had um, shall we say, notions about witchcraft, would only find justification from a grimoire made out of toad skin. Oh well. . . . We live in such a strange world.
Meren Heart,
Nefabit :3

Anthropodermic Bibliopegy

Wow, now that sure is a mouthful. So what is anthropodermic bibliopegy? It is the practice of binding books in human skin. Interesting and disturbing at the same time. The book on the left is a 300 year old ledger. The book below is the narrative of James Allen the Highwayman, and as he requested on his death bed, is bound in his own skin. I wonder what would make anyone wish for that . . .
The practice of binding books in human skin dates back to around the 16th century, though I imagine there are older examples that have deteriorated. Many museums have books bound in human skin, though few actually put them on display. There are also many skin bound books in private collections. I actually wouldn't mind having one. I'm such a hopeless bibliophile. (lover or collector of books)
It is also very common for fictional grimories to be bound in skin, such as The necronomicon (yes, it is fictitious). It wouldn't surprise me if some of them where, though to my knowledge there are no skin-bound grimoires that have been found. Now, once I did see a grimoire bound in toad skin. That had to have been quite a project.

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

The Voynich Manuscript

Now this is intriguing! The Voynich Manuscript was written in an unknown language and script by an unknown author, and covers many varied topics - most of them magickal, from an herbalism to alchemy and astrology . To me, this looks like a grimoire written in code! And what a better way to write a grimoire at the height of the church's power than in an indecipherable code? Check it out
here! I'd love to get my paws on a copy of that text . . . even if I couldn't read it per se. Here's some of the text (below)
Here is a great link where you can see the entire text in high resolution photos! Here is an Amazon list with books about the Voynich manuscript! I ran out last night and purchased a book called The Voynich Manuscript by Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill, and it's a great buy. The Voynich Manuscript is filled with mystery. The next time I'm in that area, I want to go to Yale university and see the manuscript for myself. This is an exciting discovery with a rich history. Something interesting I found out is that it is theorized that it belonged to Roger Bacon, whom I believe to be of the same Bacon family as Sir Henry bacon, who was a friend of my Great, great, great, etc. Grandfather. Or uncle or something. I'd have to ask Mom. My family tree is more like a rat's nest. :p However, it is also proposed that it was written by John Dee, a famous occultist and author of many staple occult texts. Whomever wrote it, I feel a strong connection to the book, and whether that is due to my strong desire to understand the unknown and rare, or it an ancestor of mine wrote it, I don't know. Don't care either. I want a copy. In fact, I want to find out if I can make scans of the book and make a binding for the new pages. It would be a very interesting task.
On the right is the book I purchased on the manuscript. As far as I know, it is the best out there. You can find it here.
And now, I must do more research. *re-inserts nose into book*

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

Tome vs Book

Today I was wondering about the real difference between the words "book" and "tome", and I found two things. The first answer is that a tome is usually considerably larger and heavier than a book. But the second answer, (and likely the better one) is that a tome is usually a compilation of several books. For instance, The Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Eliphas Levi would be a tome, as it is three books combined into one volume. My grimoire would also be a tome (yay!) because it is several books combined into one tome. (The book of foundation, the book of light, etc)
I love having mysteries cleared up!

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3

Check out my reading lists!

Check out my Listmania lists at Amazon here ! So far I've created three, (Best books on Wicca, best books for beginning witches, and books for anti-Wiccan Christians) and I definitely intend on adding more! I'm thinking about making lists on protective magick, history of magick, herbal magick, and more, I'm sure! Ta ta for now . . .

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3