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!

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!

Language Barrier

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.

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!

Sacred Mists Grimoires

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 here!

More Inspiration!

These beautiful books are crafted by Myceliae. I was impressed with her unique style, and she inspired me to get some work done!
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!)
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!

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 Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Again with the not-being-related-to-grimoires
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 not 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.
Now, I must go eat.

Meren heart
Nefabit :3

The Gutenberg Project

Wow, this is way cool! I stumbled across this while researching my last post. This website offers free electronic copies of 20,000 books whose copyrights have expired in America! Pretty cool!

Was 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, stolen! Too bad they hadn't invented patents back then. The story goes that the printing press was not 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.
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.

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

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

From "gramaire" to "grimoire"

Edit: (4.20.07) I can't figure out why the text in this post is so . . . multicolor. I've tried fixing it, but the answer alludes me. Sorry about that. (return to original text)
Well, as promised, here is what I know about the history of the word grimoire and its first forms. . .
"Grimoire" is French in origin. It was originally gramaire (there are a few varied spellings, but this seems most common), which is also related to our modern word "grammar". In fact, gramaires were literally how-to books and were most commonly books on grammar or etiquette. How the word most likely began to describe magick books is technically undecided, though I think it's most likely that grimoire and gramaire were used similarly to our modern "dictionary" or "lexicon". While the word "dictionary" generally refers to a book that describes the meanings of words, it is also used to describe books on other subjects as well. Nowadays, both the English and French translation of grimoire is "a book of spells or rituals."
So what were the first grimoires like? Most of them were collections of sigils and incantations intended to summon demons or angels in order to do the magician's bidding. Although the old grimoires are mostly black magick based, many of them had innumerable references to God, angels, the Commandments and other Christian references. Whether this was done out of fear of the Church or personal belief is unknown.
Many of the old grimoires had their roots in Hebrew, Egyptian and Druidic high magick. The rituals were intricate and detailed, and were mainly based on the use of conjuring spirits to do bidding, rather than our modern system of magick using out own willpower. These books also contained instructions for creating tools and attire, mixing potions and elixirs, and performing alchemy, necromancy and divination.
So how would you like to read some of these grimoires yourself? Allow me to note that most of these books are very old and have been translated numerous times from language to language; depending on what edition you purchase, (you'll have to snoop around) you may get a poorly translated edition. Some of the books have portions missing, and many are of unknown authorship. The keys of Solomon, for example, are believed not to be written by Solomon, as the original dates only to the fifteenth century.

The Greater Key of Solomon, or the Goetia
The Lesser Key of Solomon, or the Lemegeton
The Red Dragon, or The Grand Grimoire (Le Grande Grimoire)
The Picatrix, or the Ghayat al-Hakim fi'l-shir
Pauline Art, or Ars Paulina
The Book of The Dead
The New Art, or Ars Nova
The Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Fourth Book of Occult Philsophy
The Magickal Elements, or The Heptagram
The Magus, or the Celestial Intelligencer
The Kabbalah
The Sworn Book of Horonious, or Liber Sacer Mysteriorum
The Grimoire of Armadel
The Dee Diaries
Five Books of the Mysteries, or Quinti Libri Mysteriorum
Arbatel of Magic, or Arbatel de magica Veterum
The Necronomicon

Or, if you'd prefer to study these grimories in a lighter, easy to read format, check out Aaron Leitch's book
Secrets of the Magickal Grimories, which can be found here

Idea for a future post: Find out which editions are the best and recommend them here (this may take some time . . .)

Meren heart,
Nefabit :3