Grey School Newspaper 14

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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WGM YULE 2007
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YULE 2007

STAFF
S

The Color of Winter ......................................................... 3
The Phoenix Project ....................................................... 4
Club, Committee, House/Lodge Updates ........................... 5-7
Awards & Milestones .................................................... 8-9
Faculty Updates ............................................................. 9
The Rainbow Path ........................................................... 10
New Classes .................................................................. 11
GSW Tips & Tricks ..................................................... 12
The Great Symbol Display Debate ................................... 13
Bunky’s Vision ........................................................... 14
Not With Your Eyes .................................................... 15
Ancient Americas More Sophisticated than First Thought ... 16
Mainstream Students Embrace Magic ............................ 17
Letters to Grey School ................................................ 18
Samhain to Yule: A Season of the Wheel ..................... 19
Magic in the Southern Hemisphere ............................... 20
Color Conversations ..................................................... 21
The Forest’s View of Fire ............................................... 22
REVIEWS
Composing Magic ...................................................... 24
Gargoyles ................................................................ 24
Folklore .................................................................. 25
Interview with Professor Hopman .................................... 26
Yule Upside-Down ......................................................... 28
Tarot: Another 78 Cards?! ............................................ 29
Courtesy ..................................................................... 30
Poem: The Color of Sound ............................................. 30
Ancient Runes Today ................................................... 31
Light and Colors: Pigments of Your Imagination ............. 32
The Traditional Colors of Yule ....................................... 33
A WGM Staff Cookbook ........................................... 34-42
Poem: Newgrange Sunrise .......................................... 43

GSW:
Editor: FrogsDancing
Staff Writers: Silverheron, JanicaJayne,
Silentfaun
NEWS:
Editor: Belenus
Staff Writers: Sapphire Soleil
WIZARDING:
Editor: Tigersmoondiva
Staff Writers: Areeya, Jymi, Silverheron,
Eilwen, Aniuvris
OPINION:
Editor: Xyaida
Staff Writers: Areeya, Spirit of Youth,
Sapphire Soleil, Aniuvris
SCIENCE:
Editor: Jymi
Staff Writers: Moonwriter, Tigersmoondiva,
Kore-Rhi
ARTS & CULTURE:
Editor: Spirit of Youth
Staff Writers: Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk,
FrogsDancing, Silentfaun
FOOD:
Editor:POSITION OPEN!
Staff Writers: Artemis, Eilwen,
Tigersmoondiva
ART:
Lead Artist: Areeya
Staff Artists: Jymi, Lady Sigel, Moony
ADVERTISING:
Editor: Xyaida
COMMUNITY RELATIONS: Janicajayne
PERMISSIONS AND ACQUISITIONS:
FrogsDancing
COPY EDITOR: KoreRhi
PUBLISHER: Jymi

Whispering Grey Matters is a quarterly newsletter produced
by and for the students and faculty of The Grey School of
Wizardry (www.greyschool.com). All contents herein are ©
2007 Grey School, except where otherwise noted. Copyrights
revert to original authors and artists upon publication.

CONTRIBUTORS: NicholasoftheCross, Quiet
Bear, Prof. Sherwood, Starwynd Panther,
Rowan Greyheart, Raistlin Loreseeker, LeopardDancer, Belenus’ Wife, Belenus’ Mom, and
whoever wrote that letter about the Gnomes.
THE COVER was done by none other than
Katlyn Breene! See her portfolio at:
http://www.mermadearts.com/

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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YULE 2007

The Color of Winter
By Prof. Moonwriter

What color is winter? Say “winter” and
most people imagine the clean white
of snow, falling silently to blanket the
world with cold purity. Of course, after
a day or two, it gets all dirty gray and
piles up at the roadside, but when it first
floats down, ah…. It’s gorgeous. Nothing
like it.
Sadly, not everyone gets the white stuff.
For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest, our winter is more likely to be colored ‘clear and wet’ instead of cold and
white. No matter—we appreciate our
rain, for it contributes to brilliant, Technicolor springs and summers.
And speaking of Technicolor, for those
of you who think winter and the holidays are the perfect time to head for
the nearest mall, you might color winter
‘multi,’ a myriad of bright lights and glittering hues…
…which are reminiscent of the northern
and southern lights—the aurora borealis
and aurora australis, respectively. These
swirling, spectacular ribbons of light—
usually in brilliant
reds and greens—fill
the sky in the extreme northern and
southern realms, especially during the
winter months.

But what color is winter? When I think of
winter, the color that slips into my mind
is blue. I imagine the long, bluish shadows of dusk, the indigo of a rainy sky,
and the azure shades that play along
snowdrifts. I recall a trip to Alaska,
camping in the mountains of the Turnagain Arm, beneath a glacier that glowed
icy turquoise. And I think of the stories
my mom told me, about growing up on
a ranch in Malin, Oregon. Her dad would
go up into the hills and cut juniper trees
for Christmas. One tree—a big one—was
brought into the living room to become
their Christmas tree, bedecked with
homemade decorations. Two smaller
trees were placed below the front porch,
flanking the porch steps and covered
with blue lights. There was always snow
on the ground by then, and Mom talked about how beautiful the trees were,
with their blue lights glowing against the
snowdrifts, shining in the dark. I wish I
could have seen that.
However you color your own holiday
season, here’s wishing that it’s safe and
happy!

Winter invariably has
different meanings
for different people.
While those of us in
North America—especially the northerly parts—spend the
winter wearing wool
sweaters against he
darkening days, our
friends ‘down under’
might go surfing on
Christmas Day, or
enjoy a barbecue
under a hot, golden
Sun.

Areeya

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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YULE 2007

THE PHOENIX PROJECT
By: Silverheron
By now everyone within the
halls of The Grey School of Wizardry is aware of the changes
that are happening on line for
us aka “The Phoenix Project”.
Many of you may be wondering how it is coming along and
what to expect next, so with
that in mind, I went straight
to the source. The following
is what I found out from our
beloved and hardworking Tralfeyn on just where we are today with the project.
The project itself is about 75%
complete. There have been
some new system advances
since the project started but
these advances should not
prove to create much time lost
in implementation.
The next stage that is being worked on is upgrading
the current system from one
that is geared mostly towards
personal websites to one that
is more organization based.
This change should take place
sometime in December. The
advantages of these system
changes are that while the
coding is more complicated it
is more secure. It also will allow a lot more to be done with
school with features that allow
teachers to upload graphics to
their classes, such as a way to automatically monitor class enrollment limits.
The system will also make the class/lesson/test creation process easier.

Phoenix Logo by Jymi X/0

This has been a major undertaking and will be well worth it in the end.
Patience is the key with anything that is worth doing.
If anyone has any questions at all Tralfeyn says his door is always open
and you can contact him through the Site Administration forum or through [email protected].

IJKLMNOPQSIJKLNOPQS

5

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

5

YULE 2007

THE OUTDOOR CLUB
The Outdoor Club is a newly formed club that is still in its early stages. At the
present time they are still deciding on a final name. The Faculty Advisor for
the club is Rainbow Stonetalker and Sola Dragonshadow is president. When
asked what this club was about, Sola Dragonshadow responded “The idea of
the Club is to help those who struggle with the outdoors to get the help and
suggestions they may need to survive in the out doors, be it a hike or a camping trip. Also for the outdoors to survive us being there. We hope to show the
magick of the outdoors and how nature does recycle its self if allowed to.”
Presently they have plans to create rituals to cleanse and bless a campsite, which
could be used at some of the coming year’s conclaves.
At this time if you are looking for a club that with a natural theme this may be for
you. The outdoor club would love to have more members.

THE DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS CLUB
By: NicholasoftheCross, Defensor Secundus - DADA Club

Fall equinox 2007, the DADA club had elected their new officers! It is my pleasure
(as Defensor Secundus) to announce our acting officers of DADA Club.
Mysty - Defensor Amplus
NicholasoftheCross - Defensor Secundus
and
Laneth, Defensor Emeritus is acting as our “officer advisor.”

b

Also, take advantage of some Merit points for creating a Defensor Kit!!! What is a
“Defensor” you ask?? Visit our club site to find out all about it!!

THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY AND CARE OF BEASTS
The Society for the Study and Care of Beasts is a newly revived club that at this
time has not elected officers. The Faculty Advisor for this club is Leopard Dancer. The main focus is the discussion of all beasts mundane and magickal. Within
this club you will find the opportunity to discuss with others questions of others
of the “Beastly” kind and also support others in their quest for more knowledge.
At the present time the main project is to post an Animal of the Month to our
discussion board and then each of the members add whatever information that
they can find to the thread to increase each of our knowledge of the creatures
that share our world. The club also is considering taking this activity one step
further and presenting the information that we collect for the rest of the school.
Once again new members are welcome. Bring your love of animals and your desire
to learn more about them.

THE FELOWSHIP OF MAGICKAL ARTS
The Fellowship of Magickal Arts and Wizardly Crafts is another newly formed club that has its
focus deeply within the Magickal Practice department. At this time the Faculty Advisor is Rainmaker but no officers have been elected yet. The club was started by Moon Snail and when
asked what the main goal for the club was Moon Snail stated, “The clubs main goal is to create
an online school “craft book,” of sorts, that will be available to all students. Students who wish
to create things of their own, or simply want to do a project will be able to find projects and how
to do them with pictures, detailed instructions, supply lists, difficulty ratings, and cost estimates. Everything from wand crafting, to simply making your own ink! You name it, we craft it.”
This club is actively looking for new members. They presently have members that have a
variety of talent from metal crafting to fabric crafting. Your interests and knowledge would
be a welcome addition.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

6

YULE 2007

Marketing
Committee
Update
(Dec.
2007)
By: Belenus
After our tremendous marketing push that coincided with last summer’s release of the last Harry Potter book and the, “Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix” movie, our school now boasts of over 1000
students. The Grey School has also run a successful
essay contest for those under 18 years of age on the
subject of “Why I want to be a Wizard,” the results of
which, were published in our Samhain edition of Whispering Grey Matters.
Since then, the marketing committee and those associated with it have been working on other projects,
including a push for getting the word out at the fall
Halloween and Samhain parties and a new adult essay contest entitled, “What is the Most Astounding
Magickal Beast?” The deadline for entry into this contest is December 30th. Aimed at new and potential
students, the winners will be announced on January
15, 2008 in a special edition of our school newspaper
that will be publicly available and used for promoting
the Grey School of Wizardry. For more information on
this contest, go to the front page of the Grey School
Website: www.greyschool.com.
Headmaster Ravenheart has worked tirelessly and
continues to promote the Grey School through the
media. He is now starting into another round of radio
(and hopefully, TV) interviews related to the newlypublished Bestiary. We all want to see him on Oprah!
Plans are now in the works for a systematic outreach
program aimed at university Pagan student groups.
We plan to put together a “GSW college kit” specific to
this audience and send it to student groups around the
country and world. As Headmaster Ravenheart puts

it: “Having started out that way myself (in 1962), as
well as having spoken to a few Pagan student groups
on campus, I think there is immense potential there!”
We encourage any of our students who attend colleges to help us with this initiative by contacting your
magickal fellows, especially if there are organized student groups to work with. The special “GSW College
Kit,” will be made available soon for anyone who wants
to help with this. We are a special group with so much
to offer the world, so let’s spread the word!
We also welcome any ideas for marketing our school,
and specifically we are trying to drum up ideas such
as games, information sharing, etc. for our joint initiatives with WitchSchool and other magickal organizations. Send your ideas to [email protected]
(that is my email address).
Finally we very much encourage any of our school
members to “talk up” Grey School at any chat sites
or other groups, with which you are involved. There
is also a set of Grey School website “buttons” available for placing in personal websites for those who so
wish to advertise our school. These can be found in
the General Chatter forum. For help with marketing
the school, Helega De Grey is creating a PR & Marketing website that will be available by the end January
2008. This website will focus solely on the marketing
aspects of the school.
So to all our students and faculty, we thank you for all
your efforts. It is because of you, that Grey School has
become the extraordinary place it has, and we look to
2008 and beyond with great expectations.

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WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

7

YULE 2007

Fundraising Committee Update

By: Xyaida
Just a quick message of what we are up to these days:

The Grey School Rings are close to being ordered! At this time we will be waiting until January 31st to
send in our final order for our second round of school rings. If you are interested in ordering one of these
fine rings designed by our very own Headmaster, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, please follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Go to the school store or follow the link http://www.greyschool.info/modules.php?op=modload&name
=CCart&id=2 and order your ring.
Step 2: Write to Kristalbrooke ([email protected]) and let her know your ring size and the stone color of your
choice. Plus verify the e-mail addie the payment was sent from and the mailing address you want it shipped
to.
Step 3: PATIENCE!
Do remember there are colored stones for each Department! For more information keep an eye on the Retail
Grey Matters forum!
Also, Auctions have slowed down at this time. We are working on another avenue and should be returning to
specialty auctions soon; books and more. As always we would love any donation you would be willing for us to
auction off for the ability to help support our school. Contact Kristalbrooke or myself ([email protected])

House and Lodge Updates
The Society of the Four Winds
By Belenus, Prefect

Following in the wake of a terrific Prefect in Talin, who is now a school Captain, the
Winds Lodge is going strong with a lot of participation from new and old members alike.
Under the guidance of our wonderful Lodge Head, Crow, we are on our way to having
another stellar showing for the Lodge Cup and Lumos award. Many of our members
have earned the Deans List and other outstanding awards and accomplishments.
I am privileged to work and play among such wonderful students of Wizardry. The
bonds of friendship forming, and mutual support and respect here is palpable. Of
course it helps that we are all members of a well run and exceptional school with a
great staff and faculty. (I know I also speak for many of us in thanking Tralfeyn for
his hard work and dedication, without which we would not have the terrific, cyber infrastructure for our school).
Awards are nice, but the other things, like spiritual growth and learning to help and encourage others are
even more important, and I think that we are all, at the Winds Lodge, doing pretty well in this. I hope that
when I step down as Prefect next spring, our Lodge will be just as strong as it was when Talin left office.
Happy Yule and Mid-Summer Solstice!

stu

Correction to Our Fall/Samhain 2007 Issue:
It was incorrectly reported that FrogsDancing was awarded a Taser Wand award for duties performed at the AZ
2007 Conclave. Frogs did perform the duties required for
the award, but was ineligible for a Taser Wand as she was
and is not a member of the DADA Club.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

8

YULE 2007

Dean’s List
Dragons Light, since 12/10/2007
Onyx Raven, since 12/10/2007
FrogsDancing, since 12/10/2007
Emrhys, since 12/10/2007
Spirit of Youth, since 12/5/2007
Starwynd Panther, since 12/5/2007
Tau Peristera, since 12/5/2007
Aamber Phoenix, since 12/5/2007
Odilla, since 12/3/2007
Earthdrum, since 11/27/2007
Earth Song, since 11/26/2007
Artemis Gryphon SnowHawk , since 11/19/2007
Roue, since 11/15/2007
Eilwen, since 11/15/2007
Sola DragonShadow, since 11/15/2007
Sapphire Soleil, since 11/5/2007
Mysty, since 10/15/2007
Kallista, since 10/13/2007
Amberlights, since 10/8/2007

Awards

Current H/L Heads
Houses:
Gnomes: Aaran Sherwood
Salamanders: Grey Panther
Sylphs: Tigersmoondiva
Undines: Rainmaker
Lodges:
Flames: Cala’ Sanjaru/LeopardDancer
Stones: Moonwriter
Waters: Duir
Winds: Crow Dragontree

Current Prefects
and Captains

The Golden Bough
On 12 November 2007, Talin became the recipient of the
“Golden Bough Award”. Congratulations!
The Department of Lore hosts this award. *Requirements for Houses:
this award can be found on the Office of Lore forum. Come House Captain: Wingseeker
join the fun!
Gnomes Prefect: Magelet
Salamanders Prefect: Treeotter
Guardian of Gaia
On 3 December 2007, FrogsDancing met the qualifications Sylphs Prefect: X-Wolf the White
to become the newest “Guardian of Gaia!” Congratulations! Undines: (not filled)
*Requirements for this award can be found on the Office of
Lodges:
Nature Studies forum. Come join the fun!
Lodge Captain: Cashew
Lodge Vice Captain: Talin
Flames: Janicajayne
Stones: StormRaven
Waters: Dark Eagle
Winds: Belenus

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

9

Our 1000th Student!
On 30 November 2007, the Headmaster reported that our 1000th student
had been accepted to the school. It was actually the second time the
school reached number 1000, as there had been a recent purging of inactive students. At last check we had 1011 students registered at the GSW.
Congratulations! And Best Wishes for continued growth and success!

b

YULE 2007

a

100th Student passes Plagiarism Self-Test
On 8 November 2007, X-Wolf the White became the 100th Grey School Member to
Pass the Plagiarism Self-Test! Congratulations!
The Self-Test can be found in the “Dean of Students” forum under the heading “Basic
Grey School Academic Policies.” or you can try this link:
http://www.greyschool.info/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=740
Good Luck!

Areeya

Faculty Updates
Mabyn Wind is taking a sabbatical from Grey School. She is scheduled to
return around 1/5/08. Professor Ellison has taken over Listening to Legends
201. A substitute is still being sought for Bardic Magick.
Willow Silverhawk will be taking a sabbatical. She is scheduled to return on
or near 3/1/08. She had no classes, so no subs were arranged.

c

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

10

YULE 2007

THE RAINBOW PATH
By: Silverheron

At some point in our student careers here at the Grey School of Wizardry each of us will
have to choose a major. For many of us that can be quite a daunting task given there are
so many wonderful choices to choose from. If you find that you just cannot decide on just
one path to follow and you have committed yourself to learning all you can about wizardry
you just may want to consider the Rainbow Path. There are two types of Rainbows, both
Greater and Lesser. Professor Barrette describes the requirements for each as follows.
1. Completing any combination of student Majors and/or creating and teaching a class
in each of the 16 departments earns the “Greater Rainbow” designation.
2. As a faculty member: completing any combination of Majors, Minors, and/or creating
and teaching a class in each of the 16 departments earns the “Lesser Rainbow” designation.
(The class that is created must be from scratch, a Non-Grimoire class)
Professor Moonwriter is just one of several people pursuing the Rainbow Path. When
asked what makes her want to pursue it she states that “To be the best wizard I
can be, and the best teacher, it behooves me to know as much as I can about all
sixteen departments”. Professor Moonwriter has presently written classes for 13
of the 16 departments so she is well on her way to becoming a Rainbow Wizard.
So if you just can’t decide what path is right for you, never fear, you truly can have it all.
Start with the major that attracts you most but keep working hard and you can achieve
Rainbow Status.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

11

YULE 2007

NEW CLASSES
Foreign Language Credit: German
Department: Magickal Practices
Level: 1
Credits: 1
Teacher: Uta “Rainmaker” Stelson
Pre-requisites: None

Herbcrafting 201: Potions and Brews
In this class, students will learn to prepare
herb-based infusions (simples and potions,
both hot and cold), decoctions, syrups,
steam and shower inhalants, skin washes, baths, and magickal charged waters.

Weather: The Science
Department: Nature Studies
Level: 3
Credits: 3
Teacher: Uta “Rainmaker” Stelson
Pre-requisites: none

Odin’s Gift: Rune-Casting 201
Department: Divination
Level: 2
Credits: 2
Teacher: Uta “Rainmaker” Stelson
Pre-requisites: none

Physics 301: Mass, Force and Waves
Department Alchemy & Magical Sciences
Credits: 3
Year Level: 3
Teacher: Jymi X/0
Prerequisites: None.

The Tree Ogham and Divination
Department: Divination
Level: 4
Credits: 3
Teacher: Rev. Skip Ellison
Pre-requisites: “The History of the Oghams” (Lore
Department) and “Tree Ogham Divination Disks”
(Divination Department) courses.

Bee Mastery 201: Meet the Bees
Department: Beast Mastery
Level: 2
Credits: 2
Teacher: Uta “Rainmaker” Stelson
Pre-requisites: none

Literature 301: High Wizardry
Department: Wizardry
Level: 3
Credits: 2
Teacher: Tiger’s Moondiva
Class Description: High Wizardry
Prerequisites: “Literature 102: So You Want to be a Wizard” and
“Literature 201: Deep Wizardry”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rainbow_above_Kaviskis_Lake%2C_Lithuania.jpg
GNU Free Documentation license

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

12

YULE 2007

GSW Tips & Tricks
Compiled by: janicajayne

FrogsDancing: I would just recommend that you become active in your House/Lodge. It will become your
best resource during your stay. Check out the Dean of
Students area and check out the Lumos Award. It is the
first announcement listed. See what you can do to help
your House/Lodge obtain a Lumos Award. What I do
is copy and paste the entire class - assignments, tests
and final exams - from the moment I start a class into
a Word doc. This way I can work on essays, prepare for
tests and final exams at my pace. I feel that I can ask
better questions when I need to, if I have an idea of
what the instructor expects me to get from a class.

Aniuvris: I do the same thing as
FrogsDancing with all my classes.
But also, I have a color codification
for my completed classes and completed essays. That helped me to
have a better knowledge about what
I have left.

Ste: I totally print out all my lessons up
to the next essay I need to complete, and
now also print out the essay description.
I’ve been doing my essays in word and then
copying them into the box. Best thing I’ve
started for myself is starting a binder with
my classes and reference materials. I love
organization.

Quiet Bear: I’ve found it useful to check out the forums as
often as possible. We all have
something to teach and the
feeling of being “the new guy”
goes away soon.

Moonwriter: Every time you
pass a class, do a cut-andpaste copy of your transcript
for safekeeping.

Mysty: Before hitting the submit
button to request an essay test,
copy and paste the essay question
into a word document. Once you
hit the submit button, the essay
question disappears until its been
approved by the professors.

Xyaida: OK, you all have to know what
I am going to say here ... the two things
a new student should do after checking
into their Home here at GSW is to do the
Self-Test for Academic Policies and to
download and read the Student Handbook. Both have helped me so far with
my stay here.

Aurora DawningMoon: If there is a final exam multiple choice test, look over each lesson for key topics
and try to figure out the “sum it up” sentence of the
lesson. These more often than not relate to the questions on the final exam.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

13

YULE 2007

Breaking
News: The Great Symbolic Display Debate
By Xyaida
On Saturday, December 8th, in the small City
of Olean, NY, a 5-foot purple and white pentacle
was displayed next to a Nativity scene in front of
Olean Municipal Building to represent the Wiccan
Winter Solstice.
The Mayor, David J. Carucci, had given permission to a private group months prior (without
notifying Common Council) to display this Nativity scene on city property. April Garlow, a local
Wiccan practitioner, contacted Americans United
for Separation of Church and State. This group
advised that the Nativity scene needed to be removed or they need to adopt a policy which allows displays from other religions, organizations
and groups.
Before it was displayed on city property, the pentacle had been erected in front of the home of
the Garlow family. Someone had either egged
or used some other kind of solvent which caused
there to be repairs done even before it was
placed in front of the Municipal Building.
Since the pentacle has been placed
there, all kinds of controversy has
stemmed from this decision. Attendance to Common Council has
improved; both supporters and
those who oppose the pentacle are sharing their opinions on Church and State,
and how their city should
handle this situation.

host the nativity scene but Carucci refused. There
have been rumors of a Jewish Menorah coming
next but it has yet to be confirmed.
On the evening of Monday, December 10th, about
10:15 PM, the 5-foot pentacle was run down. A
dark-colored pick up was found fleeing the scene
and the police are investigating the situation;
considering this vandalism also as a hate crime.
The pentacle was stood back up with the tire
marks and all.
On Tuesday, December 11th, the Nativity scene
was removed from the site and resurrected in
front of the Baptist Church, just a block away.
On Wednesday, December 12th, John Garlow
went down and removed the pentacle which had
been put there in response to the Nativity scene.
They had agreed that if the Nativity scene were
removed they would in turn remove the pentacle.
There has been a lot more learning over
all in this town on many levels and an
out dated city ordinance for displays
in the public parks will be reevaluated and established due to these
issues within their town.
For more information about
this story, check out
BuffaloNews.com.

Mayor Carucci refused
to remove the pentacle and offered other
beliefs to come forth
and share their holidays here too. Many
churches and private
residents offered to
Work Cited:
11/28/07 – The Buffalo News: Other WNY: Wiccan pentacle OK’d to share space with Nativity scene near city
building
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/otherwny/story/216553.html
12/11/07 – The Buffalo News: Other WNY: Addition of pentacle intensifies holiday display debate
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/otherwny/story/226300.html
12/11/07 – The Buffalo News: Other WNY: Wiccan symbol is run over in Olean
http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/226505.html
12/12/07 – The Buffalo News: Other WNY: Shift of Nativity scene defuses debate on symbols
http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/226505.html

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Bunky’s Vision

14

YULE 2007

By Belenus

Pagan, new-age, religious and spiritual supplies
and gifts, as well as providing reiki and yoga
services. She has done well and had even added
a coffee shop to the store. Now, with Bunky’s
assistance, who had been using some of the
space to teach basic Pagan classes and practice
reiki, Lori is expanding her store again.

Bunky at Lori’s Mystickal Voyage, New Age Gift Shop
When someone wins millions of dollars in the lottery, they most certainly get a lot of attention, not to
mention offers to help them spend their new-found
wealth. Mr. Ellwood Bartlett, 41, known as “Bunky,”
a new mega-millions winner who resides near Baltimore, Maryland, is different. Oh, he gets the attention
alright. “I received about a thousand emails a day,”
he says, “and when they found out where I lived, it
was time to move.” More people than he could count,
were asking for handouts, and as an accountant, he
is trained to count. During my discussion with Bunky,
I found him to be both very together, and fun at the
same time. Just a great guy! The kind of person you
would say should win the lottery.
Bunky won 84 million dollars, and after taking the
lump sum and paying the taxes, he netted 33 million.
He immediately split the winnings among his family.
“Family is very important to me. I gave them each a
portion, a lawyer and an accountant, and told them to
listen to the professionals, and you’ll be ok for the rest
of your lives.” He also donated 200 thousand dollars to
the Special Olympics and has given to other charities.
But the story doesn’t end here; not by a long shot.
Retired now, as might be expected, Bunky is busier
than ever. Until his life-changing event, he ran a bookkeeping business and now has someone else run it
for him. A former client, Lori, is now a new business
partner. Lori owns and operates a metaphysical store
in Nottingham, MD, called Mystickal Voyage that sells

But the real story is in Bunky’s vision, which has
been 15 years in the making, and I think was
instrumental in his winning the lottery when he
did. For 15 plus years, Bunky had been dreaming of creating a sanctuary for Pagan practices, a kind of school if you will, but more like
a church. For weeks before buying his winning
ticket, Bunky kept getting messages from divinations that he ought to free up more time from
his days, he thought, “wait a minute, I have a
business to run; you know, bills to pay.” But the
messages kept coming. Somewhat frustrated,
Bunky finally threw up his hands and said, “Ok,
let me win the lottery.” And he did! Wow! That’s
a nice gift from the Lord and Lady! He now had
the resources to make his dream a reality.

Bunky is now busy searching for a 20 acre tract of
land, somewhere in Maryland that will suit his plan
to build a sanctuary where people of all faiths and
denominations, Pagan, Christian or otherwise, can
gather to practice rituals and hold services, even get
trained on managing the business side of running a
coven or other kind of religious institution. As Bunky
puts it, “this is not going to be Hogwarts! It will however, provide a space with structure for Pagan and
other services, complete with paid clergy, training and
management.”
It is really the beginning of a larger, long range vision for the Pagan community. Did I mention that
Bunky tends to think big and doesn’t seem shy in telling about it? He is running as a write in candidate for
President, and I would not be one to discourage him.
But the vision for his real passion is nothing short of
uniting Pagans throughout the world; that is, giving
them a certain amount of formal organization.
This in part, is so Pagans and Wiccans will be taken
seriously. He suggests that too many are still in the
broom closet, afraid of showing themselves because
of misconceptions and too often prejudices and even
persecution. And although there is religious tolerance
in the United States, Paganism is just not thought of
as a real religion, and so doesn’t always get the protection other institutions do. Yes, Bunky wants to help
turn Wicca and Paganism into an organized religion.
This by many estimates will be a pretty hard task, as

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS
Pagans have traditionally liked to have
do things their own way. Not a problem
“I don’t care how you practice or what
long as no one is harmed.” Subjective?
not terribly so in my opinion.

15

YULE 2007

their autonomy and
under Bunky’s plan.
you believe, just as
Yeah, it can be, but

This will all begin with his Willow Spring Sanctuary (http://
willowspring-sanctuary.org/) a place that is to be part seminary, part training school and part retreat center, with space
for anyone to gather and hold rituals and services in a beautiful, natural setting. When this is up and running smoothly,
expansion; a kind of franchising if you will is the next phase
of the plan. Relatively unnoticed, the wizard behind the curtain will take care of legal and organizational issues, so that
groups and covens can enjoy protection, structure and professionalism, while pursuing their passions and beliefs freely.
No, I don’t believe Bunky thinks he is God, far from it. He
does however have the qualities of a great leader, and a vision that might just take hold, if for no other reason, than it
just seems to makes good sense.
So what would you do with a lottery Jack-pot? I would like to
think that I would do similarly good things if it were me. Let’s
face it, consumerism in this country is rampant, and you can
only have so many cars and large screen TV’s. I think the
Lord and Lady have better expectations of us than we have
demonstrated so far. I say good for Bunky!
Areeya

“Not With Your Eyes, For They Are Wise”
A commentary by Sapphire Soleil, Order of the Dancing Flames

“ …try to see it, not with your eyes, for they are wise, but see it with your ears: the cool green breathing of
the leaves. And hear it with the inside of your hand: the soundless sound of shadows flicking light….” El Gallo
– From The Fantasticks book and lyrics by Tom Jones, Music by Harvey Schmidt (1)
As promising wizards we are asked in many of our classes to consider different ways of looking at things. Visualize a
protective shield around you. What color is your aura? Can you see someone else’s aura? (I can’t yet. I’m still practicing that one!) Can you take what you know from one sense and learn something new from it with another sense?
The passage above from the off-Broadway musical, The Fantasticks, has always intrigued me. For within author
Tom Jones is asking us to—well--act like a wizard! It is the magickal moment in the show. Can you see green
if you don’t know what green looks like? Could someone blind from birth know what green was? They could, of
course. Perhaps not the way I think of green, but in their own way. Maybe they can hear it.
Read this, then close your eyes and “hear” it. Think about it for a moment, imagine it.
“The cool green breathing of the leaves.”
Are you back now? Could you see it with your ears?
Color is just one of the many things we see all the time, take for granted really. I know purple because my eyes have
seen purple. But to see it with wizard’s eyes sometimes it takes a little more work. It is easy to see a color with your
eyes “for they are wise” they know color when they sense it. But to see it with your ears, or hear it with the inside of
your hand, that takes something more. That takes a little bit of magick and practice. So go out and taste some red
with your nose. Smell some blue with your tongue; develop your senses so they may all become as wise as your eyes.
For the complete passage of this lovely monologue from the Fantasticks visit this website.
http://www.whysanity.net/monos/fantas2.html

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

16

YULE 2007

Ancient Americas more SophisticatedByThan
First Thought
Sapphire Soleil
The ruins of a 4,000 year old temple
were found on the coast of Peru last
month causing archaeologists to reevaluate their ideas about ancient cultures in the Americas.
Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva led
the government-funded dig about 450
miles from Peru’s capital, Lima. At a
site called Ventarron, the ancient temple was found hidden inside another,
larger ruin. The discovery of the site
makes it one of the oldest temples to
be found in Peru, a country rich in archaeological treasures.
Although the discovery of the temple
alone would have been remarkable,
the painted murals on the walls of the
temple have caused the most excitement in the scientific community.
“What’s surprising are the construction
methods, the architectural design and
most of all the existence of murals that
could be the oldest in the Americas,”
said Alva to Reuters reporter Terry
Wade.
It has long been known that the ancient Moche culture, to which this site
is considered connected, was sophisticated and even that they had murals,
but none have been so well-preserved
and so clear in their depiction of preInca life. The mural found shows a
deer hunt.
The Inca civilization dominated much
of the west coast of South America
from what is now Colombia down
through Chile. They are probably best
remembered for their amazing architecture that was so precise a piece of paper cannot fix into the cracks
between the stones in a wall -- a wall without mortar. The people who built this temple pre-date the Incas by
several thousand years and also appear to be highly complex in their design and architectural development.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Peru_Machu_Picchu_Sunset.jpg
public domain

For more information and pictures of the newly discovered site, see the websites listed below.
Sources
National Geographic News http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071112-peru-temple.html
Red Orbit – http://redorbit.com/news/science/1141768/peru_temple_mural_hints_at_complexity/index.html
Yahoo news
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071111/sc_nm/peru_archaeology_dc_1;_ylt+Apu5Dft12JtsD71HfbLO2V

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

17

Mainstream
Students Embrace Magick
By Belenus

YULE 2007

Here at the Grey School of Wizardry, learning and
practicing magick is taken for granted. It is a large
part of what our school is all about and why it was
formed. But something is brewing at other schools
around the world. Magick is being practiced by university students. Some see it as another form of
prayer, many practice it as an integral part of their
Wiccan beliefs and others just like to use magick as
a way to improve grades, attract love and to protect
and heal themselves or friends.
“There is a cultural shift with college students identifying themselves less as religious and more spiritual,”
says Rev. Thomas Wolfe, dean of Hendricks Chapel at
Syracuse. More and more universities are recognizing Wiccan holidays and affording the same tolerance
given to more mainstream religions, now to earthbased religions that include magick in their rituals.
According to the Pagan Student Association of Ohio
State University, “Magick is the ability to use your
will to effect real and positive changes in your life.”
Sound familiar?
Universities have always been a bastion of freedom
of thought and for the exchange of uncensored ideas.
Even so, there are still misconceptions, fear and intolerance of those who practice magick, along with
some unfortunate incidents of persecution. Said Sondra Schroder, a student at SLU, “I have been told on
multiple occasions that I am ‘going to hell’ for being
Wiccan.” But Lisa Reiter, Director of Campus Ministry
is quick to say, “If there were a student of any faith
traditions that felt persecuted, I would hope they
would come forward to have that addressed. Persecution, harassment and the like are taken seriously.”
The tide may be changing though. Magick and Witchcraft are becoming a part of some university’s curriculum. Alyssa Beall, a professor at Syracuse teaches an
extremely popular course entitled, “History of Witchcraft and Magick.” The demand for this course by enthusiastic and curious students alike, has forced the
school’s administration to add several extra sections
of the class.
If trends like this continue, our Grey School of Wizardry may face competition from mainstream educational
institutions. This, I expect, would be a development
we Wizards would joyfully welcome. Could we be entering a world where magick is not ostracized, but embraced, and the people are able to learn the wisdom
of the ages along side our new discoveries of science
and thought? Where the walls erected from fear and
ignorance, to separate the present from our past, no
longer stand? Could this be a new age of enlightenment? Enlightenment: 2.0? This is a place I would be
happy to leave to my children!

Areeya

Sources:
Dal gCais, J., Wicca for non-pagans, retrieved on Dec.
10, 2007 from: http://pagansa.org.ohio-state.edu/
wicca.html
Wereszynski, K., Witches are big draws at the box office, on TV — and apparently on college campuses, retrieved on Dec. 10, 2007 from: http://www.foxnews.
com/story/0,2933,72791,00.html
Sidak, S., Wiccan students work magick at SL, retrieved on Dec. 10, 2007 from: http://media.
www.unewsonline.com/media/storage/paper953/
news/2007/11/09/News/Wiccan.Students.Work.
Magick.At.Slu-3092357.shtml

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

18

YULE 2007

Letters to Grey School
Professor Aaron Sherwood recently found this in her email box...
(edited slightly to preserve decorum and privacy...grammar and spelling errors have
been left intact.)
Dear Sir/Madame/Gnome/Dwarf,
Me and my bride recently saw your website while searching the internet for dwarves (she likes the beards) and
we are very interested in finding out more about the application process as one of my many children appears
to have several characteristics of a gnome and now spends most of his time looking for gold standing in flower
beds or singing songs. My friend has a child who already attends your fine institute (you may be familiar with
him, his name is J____ but most people call him ‘Sleepy’ due to his habit of falling asleep at inappropriate
moments) he is very happy there and I think my own son would be just right for some of your more advanced
teachings. He does not as yet have his own beard but he is happy with the beard wig he received for his 14th
birthday will this cause him to be bullied in anyway by gnomes or dwarfs who have grown there own beards?
I only have one further question and that is regarding future employment opportunities as I don’t think my
undoubtedly talented child would be happy being simply a garden ornament or fishing by the side of a rich persons pond please could you send me a full prospectus for my careful consideration and I will be in touch with
you shortly. (Will it be possible to send future messages by owl?)
Yours sincerely G____ J____.
Looking forward to a speedy response I do have room for 2 owls and 1 racing pigeon if you wish to send communications by bird or if you prefer contact me at [email deleted]

And here’s the good Professor’s reply:
Dear Mr. J______,
Thank you for your inquiry. For your information, I, myself, am not a Gnome or a Dwarf. However, I do
look after Gnomes in my spare time and am happy to address your questions.
If your child has taken to standing in flowerbeds singing songs, perhaps it would behoove you to set an
upside-down hat on the ground beside him so that he may successfully gather the gold you say he so
diligently seeks.
Rest assured, your son would not be bullied for not having grown his own beard, for I insist all my Gnomes
be clean shaven lest they or the other elementals in our school trip over their beards in the halls and
injure themselves, to say nothing of the phenomenal ruckus they would cause, which would naturally
disrupt classes.
As with any institution, we cannot guarantee future employment. Much will depend upon your son’s focus
of study in subjects both magickal and mundane. However, I do think a few courses in the Bardic Arts
would improve his income when standing on those flowerbeds busking.
Rather than sending you a prospectus, you would do far better to review the course materials themselves
by picking up a copy of the Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, which is available at many fine bookshops
and online booksellers, including Amazon.com. A great many of our classes use this as the primary text.
You will also find course descriptions on our web site by clicking on the Departments link on the left-hand
side. Select a department of interest, click on its link and at the bottom of the page you will see a link to
view the course list for that department.
On this side of the Floo Network, owls are raptors and not well suited to serve as messengers. Should
further correspondence be necessary, I would suggest pigeon post, however, my bird, Thoth, has yet to
return with a response from one of my comrades in Egypt. I do hope I’ve answered your questions and
addressed your concerns satisfactorily. If you’ve any legitimate questions, do feel free to e-mail again.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

19

YULE 2007

Samhain to Yule: A Season of the Wheel
By Areeya, Stones Lodge

Areeya

ABC

And so the seasons turn as the seasons
will, as we move from the powerful death
of Samhain to the rebirth of Yule’s spark
of light. I have always felt that Samhain
is such a refreshing release. The tradition of honoring ones ancestors can be a
wondrous experience when the veil is thinnest. I wish to speak of that quiet time of
contemplation amidst the hubbub of the
northwestern hemisphere’s winter holidays, and the time of death before rebirth.
The dark half of the year can be disconcerting to many, yet soothing to others.
I feel it is like the time in the womb. Yes,
Yes, I know there are turkeys to be basted
(Tofurky for some of us Veg-heads, yum,
yum), and perhaps pies to be baked. Why
not make time amidst those holiday sales
to honor that sacred time of gestation before rebirth. Dress your altar as you dress
your turkey. I like to light my altar of spirit
with Copal Negro (a traditional incense
burned on Mexico’s Day of the Dead) for
Samhain and then change to an earthy Patchouli Forest blend to celebrate the return
of the light. Burn whatever incense that
suits your part of this earth. But perhaps
bear in mind that your candles, incense or
other magickal tools might want to perpetuate the honoring of all those small deaths
this past year, clearing out enough space
in ones spirit to allow for transformation.
Maybe take time to make a lei of heady
gardenia in remembrance, before dancing
around Pele’s fire. The seasons can teach
us the tempo of the land and of the Self.
So whether you are traveling from Samhain to Yule up North, or from Ostara to
Midsummer in the South, honor thy Self as
thou honor those changes in season. For
on the journey of self-discovery there are
many hidden worlds and wondrous adventures that await thee along thy path.

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WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

20

YULE 2007

Magick in the southern
hemisphere
By Eilwen
I was lucky to get a chance to e-mail interview Professor Jeremy Brown, Dean of Healing, who lives in
Tasmania, the southern-most state of Australia. Since
Professor Brown was born and lived most of his life
in Indiana, he is experienced in both “northern” and
“southern” magick.
Of course, the first difference that comes to mind is the
year cycle, which is the season being opposite to the
one on the northern hemisphere. Imagine getting into
a plane in late autumn, like Professor Brown did when
he moved to Australia about a year ago, and getting
out some hours later in sunny and warm spring. For
wizards, who are (or should be) in tune with nature’s
rhythm and cycle, being “beamed” across the year
cycle could be quite a shock, I imagine. Apart from jet
lag, our bodies are used to the year cycle, and they
have just been deprived of half a year! Even though
many people state they could well do without winter, it
is a natural time for us to cut back, think about things
and take time for ourselves.
Professor Brown describes it as a “seasonal shock”
and states that it took him a while to re-orient himself
to the different seasonal energies and get himself “in
tune” again.
Of course, northern or southern hemisphere, the wheel
of the year itself is the same. Just the dates are different. While we are normally talking in our forums about
Yule coming up, please remember that half the world
(the southern half of our globe) is rapidly approaching
Midsummer!
When I thought about the differences between the
hemispheres, before approaching Professor Brown, I
tried to imagine the sun in the north at midday. In the
east at dawn, but then going around the wrong way,
not in front of the house but in the back, and going
down again in the west. It was really hard! Try it out,
it’s an interesting experience. I felt, this is not where
the sun belongs! But of course, it is – in the southern
hemisphere.
My idea is since the equator is in the north and the
warmer areas are in the north too, the quarter associations need to change. That would make the element
cycle: east = air, north = fire, west = water, south
= earth. Also, a deosil (deosil meaning “”sun wise”)
circle casting would go the same way, following the
circle of the sun and thus going anti-clockwise!
Professor Brown clarified this for me. He stated that
many people see it this way, but generally, there is a
bit of confusion about the disagreement on the actual
practice. Some people follow the same elemental associations as “Up Top”, whereas others adjust them
the way I just described to match the different condi-

tions “Down Under”. The same is for circle casting:
For some, it’s more important that the circle be cast
clockwise, so they don’t follow the way of the sun,
while others regard following the sun as more important, and change direction in the circle casting.
I also asked Professor Brown how it is for Australians
that most of the books, all the literature we have for
our school and most internet information are adapted
to the northern hemisphere. Apparently, Australians
are (out of necessity) quite apt in translating things
into their environment. Professor Brown stated that
there are a number of Australian authors who specifically deal with the needs of southern hemisphere
magick. Their readers, of course, really don’t have
to do any work translating “northern” to “southern”
magick at all – they feel right at home. Also, the specific animal and plant kingdoms of the continent are
included, things like wombats, kangaroos, wallabies,
eucalyptus trees and many more.
When it comes to magick, I have also experienced the
“continent” problem myself when reading American
books. I still am in the northern hemisphere, but as a
European, I deal with different plants and animals. For
instance, it would be natural for someone from Africa
to have a giraffe or lion as a totem, for an American, a
buffalo or prairie horse, for an Australian, a koala or a
rabbit, and for a Swiss Person, a cow or a house cat.
Professor Brown shared his own experience and the
way he does magick with me:
After a year in Tasmania, he is getting well in tune
with the natural cycle, how the sun moves, and how
the world around him feels different, or the same, as
back in Indiana. Cold winds come not from the north,
but from the south, and the sun is hot in the northern
sky. In the past year, he has adjusted his magickal
self to the new order of the elements and directions.
While he is comfortable with doing magick both ways,
casting circles clockwise or anticlockwise, placing Fire
in the north or in the south, he feels the world he finds
himself in is better reflected when following the sun,
which means placing fire in the north and casting from
east to north, west and south.
More information can be found in:
http://www.goddess.com.au/Links/SouthernHemisphere.htm

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

21

YULE 2007

s
Tasmania

X

Bells Beach, Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bells-Beach-View.JPG
Gnu Free Documentation license

Color Conversations
By Spirit of Youth

Ever notice, when you meet someone new, sooner or later the “What’s
you favorite color” question pops
up? Of course you did and we are
all guilty of it, right? We couldn’t
think of anything more dramatic to
say, so we reverted to the old ‘color
conversation’ because we thought
we might have something in common with this person and we’d like
to hold their attention.
I began to wonder just what do we
do with this information? Let me
suggest, nothing, it’s really a conversation ender.
When someone asks me this question I’m usually a little miffed, and
it has become habit to reply with a
question of my own; “My favorite
color for what?”
My irritation, it seems, stems from
the realization that this person
with whom I have just become acquainted can find no other topic to
discuss than crayons. Surely, by
the time we reach our teens, and
I should hope by the time we are
adults; we can find a more inter-

esting topic of discussion.

the new fall colors for handbags.

Most of us learn basic colors before
kindergarten, so why do we hold
onto this? Is it that we feel others
may not hold their own with a more
complicated subject? Often when
a topic is begun that I don’t understand or don’t know, I like to listen and ask questions. Perhaps I’ll
simply admit; “I’m sorry, this is beyond my scope of knowledge; but
it does sound fascinating, please
explain.” One might be surprised
at just how generous people can
be with information when asked
thoughtful questions with sincere
curiosity. I am not afraid to expose
myself as not knowing everything;
it is, in fact, a good way to keep a
conversation interesting.

I’d suggest it might be because we
are afraid of the quiet moments it
takes to listen to a new heart. Are
we afraid that if someone new has
the time to hear our spirit speak,
they might not like what they hear,
so we founder for anything to save
us? Children aren’t afraid of a pause
in conversation; why do we, as we
age, refer to these as ‘awkward silences?’

Perhaps we are afraid others will
see us as ‘nerdy intellectuals.’ You
know the picture; oily hair, broken
glasses, and ink leaking from a pen
in the pocket of a poorly tailored
shirt buttoned to the neck. I am of
the opinion I’m more attractive no
matter what I’m wearing, discussing a subject with more depth than

Are we afraid to expose ourselves
in conversation, our thoughts and
opinions? It should be unacceptable
to admit that the art of conversation
has gone badly through the years,
and people don’t take the time to
deliberately plan conversations and
topics of discussion.
If we are sharing crayons, what’s
your favorite color might be an appropriate question. I want to give
others the credit of having the ability to hold a deeper conversation; I
know that I can.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

22

YULE 2007

The Forest’s
View of Fire
By Prof. Moonwriter

Crown fire: a wildfire in
which the flames have
reached
the
treetops
(crowns); crown fires burn
hot and spread almost uncontrollably.
Forest management: the idea
that a forest may be healthier
or more economically productive if humans invest time in
controlling the type, number,
or density of specific plants
(usually trees) or animals or
the topography within a forest.
Environmentalists view “forest
management” as an oxymoron.

Slash pile: a refuse pile containing the after-effects of
logging—splintered or unusable wood, wood fragments,
uprooted shrubs and saplings,
etc.—bulldozed into a large
pile; slash piles are sometimes
burned intentionally, but if left
behind, provide a ready field
source for forest fires.

Fuel load: the amount of
available material within the
forest that contributes to fire,
once ignited.

Deadwood: in terms of a
healthy forest, deadwood refers to pieces of dead or broken wood that fall to the forest
floor; these may fall naturally
or as a result of damage, e.g.,
by logging practices.

Nurse log: a tree that has fallen to the forest floor and which,
as it decomposes, provides
a fertile substrate on which
new plants and trees can take
root and begin to grow. Over
hundreds of years, nurse logs
merge with the forest floor,
giving old forests their typical
“lumpy” topography.

Wildfire: a synonym for forest fire

Fuel ladder: the route by which a
forest fir climbs from forest floor to
treetops.
Ecosystem: a biological community of interacting plants, animals,
and their physical environment.

Biome: a large, naturally occurring community of interrelating
plants and animals occupying a major habitat, e.g., a forest.

Duff: dropped and
decaying plant material that lines the forest
floor

Backdrop by Areeya

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS
Forest fires are nothing new—at any
given time, some part of the world
is ablaze, and the news reels with
tales of human and habitat losses.
The recent forest fires in California caused not only loss of wilderness and animal habitat, but also
destroyed or damaged hundreds of
human neighborhoods and private
homes. Each fire season reignites
controversy about fire prevention
or suppression. On one side are
loggers and homeowners, who favor selective logging (thinning) as a
way to diminish a forest’s fuel load
and fire risk; on the other stand
environmentalists, who view fire as
a normal part of the healthy forest ecosystem and point to modern
logging as the root cause of catastrophic wildfires. Both positions
span a gamut of human, economic,
and earth-based concerns.
The pro-logging camp believes that
centuries of forest mismanagement
have caused forests to overgrow,
creating a set-up for catastrophic fires and crowding out natural
meadow habitat. They recommend
aggressive thinning of trees and
removal of nurse logs from the forest floor to reduce the “fuel load” in
forests. They see selective logging
as buoying the sagging western
logging industry, and point out that
fires threaten communities, destroy
homes, ruin farms, and leave longlasting environmental damage.
On the other side of the fence,
environmentalists claim that timber harvest, through its effects on
forest structure and fuel accumulation, has increased fire severity more than any other factor in
recent years. Fire is a normal and
natural part of the sylvan ecosystem. Forests are designed not only
to tolerate but prosper from forest
fires, and logging undermines and
may even destroy those capabilities. Environmentalists also see the
suggestion of “thinning” as a backdoor allowing loggers increased access to our forests.
Who’s right?
Biologists know that fire has a
beneficial impact on certain native

23

YULE 2007

plants. Many trees, including ponderosa pine and the giant sequoia,
require fire in order to generate the
hot temperatures needed to open
their cones and allow seed release,
or require fire to keep the forest floor clear of duff so that their
seedlings will have enough sunlight
to grow. Without fire, such trees
cannot reproduce.

hotter and out of control, killing off
the older trees that would normally
survive to support the ecosystem.
Canopy openings—created by the
logging of large trees—create conditions for fuel ladders and crown
fires, allowing flames to spread
across treetops. In these “managed” forests, fire becomes catastrophic and destructive.

Fire has other benefits as well. It
processes dead materials more
rapidly than decomposer organisms, and plants thrive in the rich,
mineral-laden soil left by fire. Birds
flock to exposed wood and nesting cavities left in burned areas.
Deer and elk herds increase in response to newly opened meadows.
Fires also provide a natural means
of controlling such forest pests as
the spruce budworm, beetles, root
rots, and more.

Environmentalists
decry
the
“Healthy Forests Initiative” (HFI) as
a scheme allowing loggers access to
public lands and allowing logging in
the name of fire prevention and in
areas that should be off limits, i.e.,
old-growth forests and biomes with
keystone species. They point out
the negative secondary effects to
the ecosystem, in the form of slash
piles, erosion, stream siltation, and
landslides.

Yellowstone National Park provided
a living laboratory for studying the
beneficial aftereffects of fire. During the summer of 1988, wildfires
consumed some 800,000 acres of
the park’s forest. Today, Yellowstone’s meadows and forests are
lush with a transitional community
of wildflowers, shrubs, and young
trees. More diverse habitat and
better food supplies have benefited a large group of creatures from
woodpeckers and hares to elks,
lynxes, and bears.
In general, the more diverse the
ecosystem, the healthier it is, and
studies show direct harm to resident organisms and a decrease in
species richness in logged forests.
When fires are not allowed to occur naturally and burn as nature
expects them to, exotic or invasive
species often take hold and prevent
fire-adapted species from surviving, as they would do after a normal season of small fires.
In a healthy forest, quick, small
fires periodically clear the forest
of dead wood, leaf litter, and other
fuel, leaving behind the large trees
and verdant nurse logs. In “managed” forests, filled with logging’s
deadwood, slash piles, and artificial
clearings, and following decades
of fire suppression, wildfires burn

The argument goes on: the environmentalists want to see the forests untouched, while those who
live among or harvest the trees
want to use them. We must remember that nature can’t always
restore herself, and can’t recover
from a certain level of damage. Although our forests have remained
healthy for millennia without human intervention, we must balance a thirst for recreation and resources against the need to sustain
healthy, wild ecosystems. Experts
suggest a mixed approach, beginning with controlled or “prescribed”
burns to mimic small natural fires
and remove extra-heavy fuel loads
from certain forests; selective thinning and harvests would follow.
The goal would be to restore a
natural tree density comparable to
the mid- to late 1800s. Controlled
burning has historical precedent:
Native Americans used prescribed
fire to burn and maintain vast expanses of grassland and prairie.
The Sierra Club even supports prescribed burns, while vehemently
opposing any associated logging.
Optimal solutions may be slow in
coming—but just as a diverse environment breeds strength, perhaps
a diversity of opinion will yield solid
answers.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

24

YULE 2007

R E V I E W S
Elizabeth Barrette’s

Composing Magic; How to Create Magical Spells,
Rituals, Blessing, Chants and Prayers
By Xyaida
Order of the Dancing Flames
Readers will be impressed with the depth and detail of this book on many levels. Anyone with a basic knowledge of writing and an understanding of pagan
terms will find this an essential guide! Prof. Barrette has done a magnificent
job guiding aspiring writers and exemplifying the tools of writing in the context of a spiritual connection.
Written with teaching in mind, this book is a ‘user friendly,’ interactive workbook for anyone interested in writing everything from poetry to essay compositions with a magickal result. There are many suggestions, explanations of
terminology, and guides to relate your composition with your intent. Beginning with the basics of the writing processes, and guiding the reader to the
details of the writer’s ‘tools of the trade.’ It continues by outlining the different forms and aspects of essay and poetry writing, guiding users to creating
their own powerful spiritual works, including spells, rituals, blessings, chants,
and prayers. The instruction is then complemented by outlining how to submit
and share the final piece.
The ‘Exercises’ at the end of each Chapter are easy to follow, and will assist
anyone using this book to discover what works best for them in composing
magickal writing. A ‘must have’ guide for aspiring authors to indulge their
artistic writing passions.
Composing Magic; How to Create Magical Spells, Rituals, Blessing, Chants and Prayers is an essential tool for
Wizards and others in the occult community who share a creative flare
for magickal writing. Although an intermediate knowledge of writing and
pagan terminology is needed to appreciate this book to its fullest, anyone
with the desire to write spiritual works would benefit from the discovery of
what this text has to offer.

Susan “Moonwriter” Pesznecker’s

Gargoyles
By FrogsDancing

This is definitely a must-have book! It is fun to read and educational to
boot. You will find no dull moments in this fast-paced and enjoyable book.
Professor Moonwriter takes you on a journey into the mysterious world of
the gargoyle; from their evolution and incorporation into buildings to their
modern use in magickal practices. You have got to check out the wonderful
exercises or “Try This” sections throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed
this book. I am looking forward to taking the class on Gargoyles.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Video Game Review:

25

YULE 2007

Folklore
Release Date: October 20, 2007
Genre: Action/Adventure with RPG-like elements
ESRB rating: Teen
Publisher: SCEA
Players: 1
Review: 4.5/5
Reviewed By: Rowan Greyheart
Written By: Spirit of Youth
Sony Computer Entertainment’s Folklore for Playstation
3 is far from being an ordinary action adventure game.
It takes the player beyond the mundane and deep into
the imagination, proving it is more than just pretty packaging.

The first thing you’ll notice are the colorful, active and
dramatic graphics: bright, light and fun, then suddenly
dark and mysterious! You’ll enjoy the daylight filtering
through the windows of the buildings and the lifelike expressions and mannerisms of the characters, even the
scenery takes on a lifelike response as walking characters leave footprints and crushed grasses in their wake.
You will find yourself laughing as the characters interact
in ‘comic-strip’ bubbles, then gripped with anticipation,
and even holding your breath with drama. The musical
scores lend a mystical atmosphere, leading the player in and out of emotional response.
Folklore includes two roles to play, in which you maneuver through intrigue by solving a series of mysterious
murders to uncover a secret and hidden past. You will travel through five ‘realms’ including a ‘Faery’ Realm,
‘Warcadia,’ a battle torn land, and an ‘Undersea’ Realm: each filled with the hopes, fears and dreams of the
characters’ living counterparts.
You will encounter fierce beings called ‘Folks,’ representing human fears, once defeated give the ultimate reward of speaking with the dead.
Throughout Folklore there are elements of Celtic history, including Celtic knot work embellishments, Irish accents, runes, and suggestions of ancient traditions. The game explores the concept of transformation, and
comments on the effects of the modernization of an ancient culture and its beliefs, stating clearly that history
will not be forgotten in time.
Even though the story line can get complicated unless you play both roles simultaneously, I highly recommend
Folklore. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a casual history student, there is more to this game than play.
You’ll find the entertainment, historical, and mystical elements an experience that will keep your Celtic history
studies close by as you enjoy play. Who says games can’t be educational?

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

26

YULE 2007

Interview with Professor Hopman
By Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk

Our very own Professor Hopman has written a book
entitled: Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey, and
graciously granted an interview. This book is for “anyone who has European ancestry might be interested in
the religion that was practiced from the Black Sea to
Western France and Ireland, for a thousand years.”
Here are the reasons you should
pick up a copy:
What
inspired
you to write this
book?
I wrote the book
for a number of
reasons.
I’m concerned that
some writers and
members of the
occult community
are claiming that
there were no female Druids. One
author even says
that women were
not allowed access
to the mysteries
and that the only “real” Druidic relationship was between an older (male) mentor and a younger (male)
student.
I have written an article about female Druids, Poets,
Brehons, (lawyers and judges) and the evidence that
we have for them; that will be published in the online
magazine Magical Buffet in February, 2008.
Another reason I felt inspired to write this book is I
often feel the winds of the Gods at my back, constantly urging me to write, teach, and celebrate the Druid
tradition; my chosen spiritual path. I wanted to write
a manual that would give the flavor of this tradition,
its rituals, holy days, tools, practices and beliefs, in
a pleasant form for beginners. It is a Bardic teaching
tale, with the core tenets of our faith woven through
it, and any reader would be able to create a personal
Druid practice by studying the book.
Another aspect is while this book is not a strictly historical account; it does reflect the culture of pre-Christian Western Europe and the ways of our ancestors.
Anyone of European ancestry might be interested in
the religion that was practiced from the Black Sea to
Western France and Ireland, for a thousand years,
(roughly 500 BCE to 500 CE) and that has never completely died out.

How did you choose the title?
The story follows a Druid Priestess, an herbalist, living
in third century Ireland.
It is called “A Druid Journey” because it is not just a
novel; it’s also a spiritual text to be shelved with other
spiritual books.
There are plenty of warriors in the book as well, which
makes the story interesting.
How long have you pursued Druidism?
I have been a Druid since 1984, one of the earliest
members of the Order of ADF, ‘Ar nDraiocht F’ein:
A Druid Fellowship, founded in 1983. In 1986 I cofounded the Henge of Keltria, serving as its Vice President for nine years. In 1996 I started the Whiteoak
mailing list which officially became a Druid Order in
1997. I am a co-founder of the Whiteoak Order (Ord
na Darach Gile) and Co-Chief of the Whiteoak Order
(www.whiteoakdruids.org).
What format did you choose for this book?
It is written like any novel, with separate chapters,
however, I have included an extensive glossary and
pronunciation guide to assist the reader in understanding the ‘Old Irish’ terms used throughout the book and
pertinent to the Druid religion.
There is also a list of resources at the back of the
book, as well as an interview with the publisher.
How long did it take you to write this book?
This was my first book of fiction. While non-fiction
takes between one and two years to write, I found
this much more difficult because I wished to accurately represent the cultural and religious elements while
creating an engaging story.
This book took about nine years, including several rewrites and edits to the manuscript.
Your book is scheduled for sale beginning February 1, 2008.
Why do you recommend readers pick up a
copy?
I hope that readers will get a sense of what a beautiful
tradition we share. Beginners to the Celtic or Druid
path will be interested, not only in the story but in the
book’s guidance and the recommended reading listed
in the back.
What do you hope readers will retain from your
book?
I believe readers will find reflections of modern times
in its pages. As I was writing it Religious Right was
gaining precedence on the American political scene.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

27

YULE 2007

I did not realize until after I had finished that there were strong parallels
between current politics and those of ancient times. Our ancestors had to
struggle with issues between church and state, just as we are today.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I have another book coming out in May 2008 entitled A Druid’s Herbal – For
Sacred Tree Medicine. This book will be a study in Druidic concepts regarding sacred trees and will act as a guide to the medicinal and magical uses
of trees. I plan to make that a required text for my class at the Grey School
called Tree Medicine-Tree Magic.
I am currently finishing a book on Scottish herbs and magic that should be
out in late 2008 or early 2009. It has been a very busy year!
Our thanks to Professor Hopman for this enlightening discussion of her new
book, we look forward to its release and to her future works.
Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey can be ordered through Amazon.
com at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Priestess-Forest-Ellen-Evert-Hopman/dp/0738712620/ref=sr_1_1/104-0162388-9389551?ie
=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194801826&sr=1-1
You can also pre-order A Druid’s Herbal – For Sacred Tree Medicine at:
h t t p : / / w w w. a m a zo n . c o m / D r u i d s - H e r b a l -S a c r e d -Tr e e - M e d i c i n e /
dp/1594772304/ref=sr_1_1/104-0162388-9389551?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194802322&sr=1-1

Photo by Jymi X/0

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

28

YULE 2007

Yule Upside-dow n
By Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk

My husband and I have been talking about moving.
I was thinking across the country, he suggested another country altogether! This started me thinking
about the hemispheres, and the Earth’s rotation, and
how this affects the seasonal holidays. Have you ever
wondered how people on the other side of the world
celebrate? This difference between festivals on both
hemispheres appears to bring controversy each time
it’s discussed.
Holidays are celebrated in accordance with the changing of the seasons, using the same rituals, colors,
etc. These ceremonies are seasonally based, most
southern hemisphere festivals occur six months from
their northern hemisphere counterparts. The northern
hemisphere celebrates Yule in December. Those in
Australia celebrate at the winter solstice on June 2223. The Vernal Equinox is celebrated using light green,
lemon yellow and pale pink, colors of the new flowers
and plants. It is important not to confuse the dates
with the seasons themselves. The holidays celebrate
the changes of the seasons, the birth and death of the
God, and the three aspects of the Goddess.
What colors are used Down Under? The standard progression of the seasons shifts when you are on the
other side of the world. Yule celebrated in the northern
hemisphere uses the standard colors, green (rebirth),
gold (incoming prosperity), and red (fire). However, those in the southern hemisphere celebrate the
opposite seasons at the same time; Australians celebrate Midsummer – with the light greens, and
yellows, while the U.S is celebrating Yule - with the
dark greens, and gold.
Some of the people living in the southern hemisphere
try to keep the same schedule as the northern hemisphere celebrants. However, wouldn’t the correct
view be that this schedule should be changed to suit
nature? We are re-enacting a cosmic cycle, with each
phase corresponding to the Sabbats. Each of these
stages is closely related to the astronomical position
of the sun at that moment but, as we all know, the
seasons (and solstices and equinoxes) fall oppositional in each hemisphere. For example, when it is winter
in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern, and vice-versa.
If we’re trying to attune to nature, we can’t celebrate
the ‘Death of the God’ and last harvest in the middle of
Spring. Nor can we celebrate ‘His’ birth at the moment
of the sun’s highest peak. If we did that we would be
guiding ourselves merely by man-made dates on the
calendar, originally developed in the Northern Hemisphere and not by the cycles of nature itself.

My fears have been somewhat allayed. I would have
had to adjust my thinking that summer is in June,
July, and August, and that Yule is in December. Moving to a different hemisphere would mean my celebrations come at different times. Particular dates
may be different, but the rituals and color correspondences remain the same.
http://www.coven-of-cythrawl.com/pagan_wheel_
Southern.htm
http://www.geocities.com/athens/2962/media/sunmail4_5_97.html
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/sabbats.htm

Starw
yn
ways f d Panther ou
I
and gr nd happines have als in b
eens.
lues
Th
ing an
d calm ey bring a c
oo
in
er, I h
ave be g effect. How len flirt
a little
ing wit evbit rec
h red
e
n
been c
tly. Per
ool too
h
a
p
s
I’ve
long.

use
end to
t
I
r
ea
color
Quiet B
re the
e
h
e
w
ion of th
t
candles
n
e
t
in
s the
matche
doing.
spell I’m

t

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

29

YULE 2007

Another 78 Cards?!
By Jymi X/0

When I received my first deck of Tarot cards, I got a book to go with it
(E.A. Waite’s Pictorial Key to the Tarot, for the record). The book provided
a paragraph-or-so description of the meaning for each card. Not terribly
in-depth, but enough to get one started. At the end of each paragraph,
there was, almost as an afterthought, a “Reversed” meaning consisting of
three or four italicized words, with mostly bleak implications. My impression as a young beginner was that a reversed card was really just kind of
a nuisance, like a rude relative showing up for dinner uninvited, and we’d
rather it didn’t happen, please.
I learned that some Tarot readers just don’t read cards in the reversed
position. I quickly joined that camp, thinking that I had enough to worry
about with memorizing 78 cards in their upright positions, never mind
reversed. I’ve been reading that way for years, but now, I think I’m ready
to start exploring the “other” Tarot deck.
Professor Grey Panther teaches an excellent Tarot course here at Grey
School. One of her classes, “Tarot 501: Tarot Reversals,” deals entirely
with the rich tapestry of meanings one can glean from those pesky upside-down cards.
Reversals do tend to have negative connotations. However, I’ve learned
that they aren’t necessarily the bland morosities grudgingly described by
some of the Tarot guides. A reversed card has many possible indications,
depending on the reader, the spread and the card’s position. It can simFrom the Waite Tarot Deck, ply show the opposite of its upright meaning. It can indicate a blockage
illustrated by of some sort involving the energy and conditions described by the card.
Pamela Coleman Smith Delays, hidden agendas, imbalances: a reversed card can add volumes of
meaning to the cards around it and the entire spread.
As an example, let’s say that the Four of Wands turns up reversed. I usually read this card as an indication that the querant is in a pleasant pattern in which projects and ideas are
moving along pretty easily. If it turned up reversed, it could mean that nothing is coming easy, or that the ease
with which things are moving is causing a problem (perhaps complacency or stagnation?). Maybe things are
too easy, and the querant is due for a Karmic over-correction in order to balance the energy. Not good, but
good to know!
Professor Grey Panther recommends The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals by Mary Greer. It’s on my list, as
is the Professor’s class. I’ve had my Tarot deck for twenty years now, and I’m looking forward to finally seeing
the other half of it.

Raistlin Lo
reseeker I like to wri
use in magic
te intention
, and I inco
s on pieces
rporate a lo
little slips o
of paper to
t of writing
f paper, I oft
in my spells
en use diffe
intention (b
. For these
rent colored
lue for heali
inks depend
ng, red for
thing definit
ing on the
will power o
e, and gree
r action, bla
n-my favori
that I canno
c
k for anyte color-for
t think of an
anything pe
other color
for my mag
rsonal or
to use for. I
ical altar, an
also like to
d some of m
use green
y magical to
ols.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

30
due to their own frustrations.

Courtesy

YULE 2007

Have you noticed that during the Holiday Season so
many become just a bit more helpful? More Charities
are looking for donations, people are asked to volunteer
for assisting events, and less fortunate folks get extra
help. Yet there are others who are out there working
hard who get the brunt of rudeness from many who at
other times would be gentle and kind; cashiers, store
associates, and even other customers at stores!

I feel for those who are in the stores and have to deal
with the hostile emotions that come during this time of
year. So many think the Holiday Season is ‘Great’ and
‘More Friendly’ and actually are nice year round, but
many in the customer service field get a rough go this
time of year. They do their job, and even have more
responsibilities with the shopping season upon them,
and are there to make our shopping experience more
comfortable and willing to help. Now not all are great
at their jobs but most in this field try their best to be
‘people’ people.

I don’t understand how a person can donate money on
their way out the door to the person ringing the bell
for the Salvation Army, donate a toy for Toys for Tots,
and be the one who is there with a smile on their face
when helping their favorite cause yet when a strangers
bumps into them while shopping, because the crowd
is so thick, they curse at them with such venomous
intent or verbally attack the person cashing them out

The next time you are out there shopping for the
Holidays just say a kind word to the store associates
for their efforts. We all know that when you get told
someone is actually grateful for what you do, it really
helps not only the person being told but also yourself
for sharing that moment of appreciation. Plus it could
really help them to be able to bare those others who
really can ride their last nerves and do it with a smile!

Xyaida, Order of the Dancing Flames

The Color of Sound

Nichola
so
in no pa ftheCross - I h
ave 4 fa
rticular
order: R
v
And Pur
ed, Gree orites
ple. I fin
n
d that R
, Blue,
color= a
ed is my
gg
“action”
my birth ression. Green
stone: E
is the co
merald.
lor of
are just
Blue and
appealin
g
p
particula
urple
t
r reason o me; I don’t ha
ve any
why.

By LeopardDancer

Gunmetal grey of grumblings and growling,
goldenrod haze of crickets chirruping,
sable patter of striking sleet,
pastel pink of a baby’s coo.
Obsidian blades of buzzing bees,
dove-grey of gentle rainfall,
ruby thud of heart’s blood,
serpentine chitter of cicada song.
Piercing yelps of burnt orange,
smooth apricot of pigeons at rest,
ivory thrum of a purring cat,
dusky lilac of baying wolves.
Thumping bolts of cobalt blue,
humming static of aquamarine,
amethyst murmur of technology’s power,
copper jots of a ticking clock.
Absinthe rustle of deep forest,
cranberry skirling of the hunter on high,
cocoa rumble of yawning earth,
celadon burr of rolling waves.

Emerald
e color is
it
r
o
v
fa
y
beM
al stone,
tu
eseeker c
r
a
o
L
e
n
th
li
t
Rais
color.
n it is
cially whe
very deep
e
a
p
s
d
e
n
,
a
n
t
e
n
e
lor
Gr
i-transluce
or deep co
m
e
r
e
u
s
p
is
y
r
it
e
emany v
cause
just about
r, etc.) but
e
e
v
k
il
li
s
I
,
k
t,
c
c
la
In fa
absolute fa
ds; gold, b
e
y
r
r
m
o
is
s
e
l,
lu
ra
gene
very
(dark b
nd green in
I just feel
a
t
,
u
n
b
e
,
e
y
r
h
g
w
ased
erald
know
always ple
not really
m
o
a
d
I
I
d
.
n
e
a
it
r
r,
nts,
vo
sted in pla
ith the colo
e
w
r
te
le
b
in
y
ta
r
il
r
comfo
ordina
me).
o am extra
ems to fit
e
ls
s
a
t
I
a
(
it
th
r
h
wit
colo
certainly a
so green is

Set free your expectations,
be unbound by modern convention.
Open your heart, your mind, your soul.
Behold all the myriad hues within the aural rainbow.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Ancient
Runes
today
By Areeya
A part of my everyday practice on the path of wizardry
is the Runemal. Much of my early learning material had
a heavy emphasis on basic symbolic meaning with intuitive personal perception. Along with the importance
of understanding the Northern Archetypes to deepen
ones understanding of the Futhark, casting, reading or
singing the Runes, can and usually does have a combination of several components, both verbal and visual.
I find singing the Runes in specific colors most effective in my rituals. When singing the Runes together
with Yogic breathing I experience a vibration so
strong that it opens a door of intention for me
that greatly enhances my working.

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YULE 2007

ral material is an ancient tradition that still flourishes
today. I enjoy crafting a set of Runes from some of the
more traditional materials such as wood, stones and
crystals. Recently I have found great joy in using the
polymer clays of today. One can mix as many colors
as one needs. If I want an infusion of love I could use
pink, white and silver. I can craft a set with the 5 colors of air, earth, fire, water and spirit for ceremonial
use. I take a small amount of each color I wish to incorporate and roll them out into thin rods, then gently
plait the different color clay rods into a loose braid.
Once your clay is braided gently roll completed braid
until all the colors are snugged together. We do not
want to mix the clay for a new color, we want to see all
those lovely colors clearly when we cut even amounts
of twenty four pieces. Press each cut piece gently with
your thumb, then carve a Rune into the still soft clay.
Heat for 15 to 25 minutes, then allow clay to dry for
about 20 minutes and your ready to paint the carved
Runes with your chosen color. I was so taken with this
method, that I always keep these particular sets on
my person.
New techniques with an ancient art form can be fun
as well as educational. So have fun while you learn
Ancient Runes today, and happy creative magick to
one and to all on the adventurous road of wizardry
and witchcraft.

Now lets take it a step further, shall
we? I could add color to enhance my
intention. Were I to sing a charm of
intention to balance and support
emotional control, I would visualize in ultramarine blue and violet to
soothe and balance then support
that vibration with an underlying
layer of emerald. Incorporation of
color with vocal vibration continually seems to lead to sensory immersion in my rituals and charms.
Using the blue and violet in this
particular balancing ritual, infused
a crispness of smell, a cooling
touch that sustains amidst the heat
of the working, as the taste and feel
of cool water kept my song fluid and
conscious.
The most touching and effective workings came from combining as many senses
as possible, and so creating your own set of
Runes can be another great way to deepen your
connection with the raw energy that lay in wait amidst
the Futhark. Crafting ones Runes by hand from natu-

Areeya

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YULE 2007

Light and Colors:
Pigments of Your Imagination
By Jymi X/0
This issue of WGM is pretty colorful. How does color
work? Why are some things red, others blue, and others that weird shade of brownish-orange found only in
cat food and wallpaper designs from the 1970s?
It’s obvious that if there wasn’t light, you wouldn’t be
able to see color...but many people don’t realize that
color is light.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum displays all the various
types of electromagnetic energy. Some energy takes
the form of radio waves, some of visible light, some of
X-rays...it all depends on the frequency: how fast the
wave is traveling.
Light waves come from atoms. Yep, those little things
that matter is made of. Electrons, which are located
in “shells” at various distances from the center of the
atom, have a certain amount of energy. If they lose
some of this energy, they drop down to a lower shell.
How far they drop depends on where they were to begin with and how much energy they lose. This would
be a great lead-in to quantum physics...but I’m not
going there today. Just hold onto those electrons for a
couple of paragraphs.
The physical receptors in our bodies are designed to
“tune in” to specific frequency ranges. Sound waves
are slower than light waves, so sound has a lower frequency than light. But -- if you had super-hearing,
you could “hear” colors. If you had super-eyesight,
you could “see” sounds. And just like there are seven
notes in a musical octave (the eighth being a return to
the first at a higher frequency), there are seven colors
in the visual “octave.”

Our eyes, of course, are designed to receive the frequencies of energy that we call visible light. Red is a
lower frequency; blue and purple are higher. That’s
why a rainbow always has the same colors in the same
order -- the water vapor sorts the sunlight into bands
of ascending frequencies. It’s a giant prism! The green
band lies between its yellow and blue constituents,
and orange is between yellow and red. Purple (violet)
is the highest “note” of color on a rainbow, just after
the blue band, and we know that purple is a mix of red
and blue. We can deduce that though we can’t see the
next “octave,” it must begin with a frequency that has
something in common with the red that we can see.
Remember those energy-releasing electrons? That
burst of energy is called a photon. Light waves travel by photons crashing into nearby electrons, which
briefly absorb the energy, then release it again, so
that it hits more electrons, and the process goes on
until the wave hits something that can absorb or reflect the energy. The textures of the objects around
you will absorb some of the energy of the wave, and
this changes the frequency of that energy that gets
reflected. A green leaf absorbs most of the frequencies
in the white light of the sun, but the chemical properties of its pigment are such that it reflects frequencies
of 495–570 nanometers. These reflected waves hit the
receptors in our eyes, which measure the frequency
and send the results to our brain, which then recognizes the “green” part of the spectrum.
It just so happens that 495-570 nanometers is one
possible distance between one electron shell and another...light is a very strange and magical substance,
but it sure won’t fit into the WGM word-count limit. I
hope to see you in the new Physics classes in the Grey
School Alchemy department!

Photo by Jymi X/0

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YULE 2007

The Traditional Colors of Yule
By: FrogsDancing

Ask anyone to name the colors of
this season and what answer do
you think you will get?
Red certainly comes to mind.
Red is the color often equated
with passion, love, energy, enthusiasm and courage. Red is
also associated with rebirth: the
female’s menstrual blood and
animal life. Some believe that
the red of this season represents
the blood that Jesus spilled to redeem the sins of man. Red is also
thought to symbolize the blood of
birth at this time of the year, as
many Suns/sons are born.
Green is another popular color
for this time of the year. Green
is often equated with eternal life
and fertility. Green is frequently
associated with prosperity, luck,
and health. Many believe green
represents the fertility of plant
life in the coming spring season.
White is a color that comes to my mind. White is the color of the goddesses, peace, snow, purity, longevity and
the stars above.
How about silver and gold? Silver is often a color of the goddesses; and gold is representative of the newborn
Suns/sons and the fires that honor them.
What are your favorite colors of this season?
Works Cited:
“A Pagan Yule”
http://uufnorthiowa.org/Special_Projects/paganyule2002/paganyule.htm
Accessed 25 November 2007

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“Pagan Origins of Modern Holiday Traditions”
http://www.overopinionated.com/holidayorigins.htm
Accessed 25 November 2007
Isis Books Pagan Celtic Article: “The Spirits and Ghosts of Yule”
http://www.isibooks.com/ghosts-of-yule.asp
Accessed 6 November 2007
Wheel of the Year: Sabbats: Yule
http://home.earthlink.net/~wilhelmina_d/bos/wheel_sabbaats_yule.html
Accessed 25 November 2007
Yule Sabat
http://www.nobleknights.com/~eagle1/yule01.htm
Accessed 25 November 2007
Yule
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yule
Accessed 6 November 2007

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YULE 2007

A WGM Staff Cookbook

This “cookbook” is a gift from the WGM staff to you! Read on, and enjoy some of our favorite recipes.

A Christmas Morning Special:
My Great Grandma Ethel’s Pancakes
-- by Xyaida

Ingredients:
2 C. flour
¾ tsp. salt
6 tsp. baking powder
1 T. sugar
2 eggs
2 C. milk
2 T. shortening - melted (though Mom uses oil)
Blend together all ingredients and pour out desired sized pancakes on a preheated pan.
Flip once the bottom is golden brown. They are done once they are cooked through.

Filipino Chicken Salad
-- by Belenus’ Wife

Ingredients:
1 large pkg of split breasts (with skin and bones)
Mayonnaise
1 small onion diced finely
½ C. sweet pickle relish
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste (usually 1 or 2 shakes)
3 c. diced celery
Boil chicken gently for at least 45 minutes.
Remove chicken and take off bones and skin. Reserve stock for homemade chicken soup.
Chop chicken.
Assemble all ingredients after the chicken has cooled. Mix well and chill overnight.
Garnish with paprika and hard boiled eggs. Serve with assorted crackers.

Pear Salad

-- by Frogsdancing
This is a bit lighter than most of the heavy things served at this time of the year. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cans of pears
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 (3-ounce) package lime ( or the flavor/color of your choice) gelatin
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
8 ounces non-dairy whipped topping (Cool Whip) or 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
In a small saucepan, heat the pears, sugar and salt to boiling.
Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until dissolved. Blend in cream cheese. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until
partially set.
Fold in whipped cream or topping. Pour into mold or dish.
Chill until firm.
Serves 6 to 8.

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YULE 2007

Carrots and Raisins (Carottes aux raisins)
-- by Silverheron

This is a festive hot vegetable recipe that will brighten any holiday table. It’s originally from French Vegetarian
Cooking, by Paola Gavin
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. flour
½ cup hot water
2 T. raisins
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Scrub the carrots and trim the ends. Cut into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the carrots. Cover and cook gently for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the
carrots are tender and starting to turn golden.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute without browning.
Add the raisins and the hot water and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened
and the raisins are tender.
Serves 4.

Florentine Casserole
-- by Belenus’ Mom

This is an excellent potluck dish. Serves at least 6, if they are not teenagers!
Ingredients:
6 oz. noodles (bows or butterflies), cooked until they are barely tender, according to directions
2-3 c. spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef, browned and crumbled into sauce
1 10-oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 C. sour cream
½ C. parmesan cheese
Mix the sauce with noodles. Cool it, then layer noodles, spinach, sour cream, cheese and repeat.
Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. If you double the recipe or make ahead and keep in the refrigerator before
cooking, plan on more than 30 minutes to cook.

Broiled Lamb Chops
-- by Kore-Rhi

I have only one real recipe I personally like to make about
this time of year.
Ingredients:
2-6 lamb chops (2 per person)
Salt and pepper to taste
Set the oven to ‘broil’, make sure to position the oven racks
so that the broiler pan is 8-10” below the broiler element
before turning it on.
Make sure the lamb chops are thawed out and season both sides with a little salt and pepper to taste.
Place on a broiler pan and broil for 10 minutes, then turn them over for another 10 min.
They should be completely done—which for lamb chops can mean that you leave a little pink in the middle or
cook them until the pink is gone—your preference.

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YULE 2007

Homemade Vegetable Soup
-- by Janicajayne

Ingredients:
Half a head of cabbage, chopped
6-7 medium potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
A bag of medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
into bite-sized pieces
Small bag of frozen corn
Small bag of frozen peas
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 beef bouillon cubes
Garlic salt
Season salt
Pepper
A really big pot
Throw vegetables into a large soup pot. Add enough
water to cover.
Drop in the bouillon cubes and add spices to suit.
Simmer over low heat until all of the vegetables are
cooked through. Check often and stir every 15 minutes
or so, adding more water as needed.

Areeya

Notes:
Customize by adding other vegetables of choice.
Note of warning: Use green cabbage if you want it to
look like normal soup. If you use purple cabbage, it will
turn everything purple, which is a little fun when you
want something different.

Maple Roasted Chicken and Root Veggies
-- by Moonwriter

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, washed and patted dry
¼ C. pure maple syrup
Season salt, pepper, and other spices as desired
An assortment of root veggies (and trust me: even if you don’t
know or don’t think you like some of these, they all become AMAZING in this recipe!): potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips,
rutabaga, carrots, beets, fennel, etc. Virtually any veggie that
grows underground
Use a 13 x 9 pan. Grease it very lightly with oil or shortening, or spray with PAM.
Peel the veggies. Cut them into ping-pong ball-sized chunks and arrange in the 13 x 9 pan in a single layer.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Make sure to remove any paper container of giblets from the cavity.
Set the chicken on top of the veggies.
Now, use a pastry brush (or your fingers) to drizzle the maple syrup over the chicken, try to coat the whole
thing evenly.
Season the chicken with season salt, pepper, etc.
Stick it in a 325 oven for 1½ hours. After about half an hour, you might want to use a spoon to baste it with
pan drippings or a bit of extra maple syrup.
Serve the chicken and vegetables drizzled with the pan juice.
This is an amazing thing! The veggies cook in the syrup and chicken drippings; the syrup caramelizes and gets
all complex and doesn’t taste sweet at all. Amazing food. Makes amazing left-over chicken salad, too.

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YULE 2007

D

Enough Chicken Soup To Feed An Army Of Zombies
-- by Jymi X/0, the Reluctant Chef who is Also Paranoid about Salmonella

I don’t mind cooking, but I don’t know much about it, and I don’t like having to do it all
the time. When I do get involved in a kitchen project, I tend to make vats of food so I can
freeze it for later. A few winters ago, I figured out how to make a delicious, simple chicken
soup. I never measure anything when I make stuff up, so bear with me...
Put 2 large or 3 small chicken breasts in a baking pan. Season to taste, and bake. (For
those who don’t know how to cook chicken -- ‘cause I didn’t until I was about 30 years old
-- set the oven for 350 degrees, and leave them in for about 30-40 minutes. To check, cut
into the thickest part of the meat, down by the bone. If it’s still pink AT ALL, put ‘em back
in. Chicken’s not done unless the meat is all white.)
Wash anything that touched the raw chicken with soap and hot water. Take the packaging to
the outside dumpster immediately and then spray the countertop with disinfectant.
While the chicken is baking...
In an enormous stock pot, combine:
2 large cans of chicken broth stock (not the soup-can sized ones, but the ones that are a
liter’s-worth or so)
Maybe 1 regular-sized can of vegetable broth, if you have some around
1 lovely giant white or yellow onion, chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 bunch of celery, chopped (3 or 4 large handfuls)
1 small bag of baby carrots, chopped (3 or 4 large handfuls)
Spices: liberal shakes of whatever you’ve got in the cupboard that’s good with chicken. I like
parsley, basil, tarragon, and sage. (I think...was that basil I put in last time? Well, smell it,
and imagine the smell with chicken. If that seems good, throw it in.)
Let this concoction simmer. Stir now and then to remind the vegetables that they can’t just
sit at the bottom of the pan.
When the chicken is done, tear it apart with your hands into bite-size strips and chunks.
Careful, it’s hot! You might want to get a couple of dishes out for this: one for the meat, and
one for the scraps.
Set the chicken meat aside and take the scraps outside to the dumpster along with all the
empty cans and leftover vegetable pieces. They’ll start to smell if you leave them in the
house, and the cat will want to get into the garbage.
The broth is ready when the carrots start to soften up. (Actually, I guess it depends on how
you like your carrots.) Toss the chicken meat in there, and let it simmer some more.
Beat three eggs in a dish.
Turn off the burner. As the soup settles down, SLOWLY pour the eggs into the pan, while
stirring gently. The eggs will cook immediately in the hot liquid. They give the soup a nice
color and texture.
You can add noodles or rice if you like, but I like mine with just oyster crackers and a peanut butter sandwich.
Yum! (And it freezes well, so there’s plenty of yum for later, too!)

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YULE 2007

Schinkli im Brotteig (Smoked ham in Bread crust)
-- by Eilwen (Switzerland)

A Swiss recipe normally used in winter. It’s not really Yule-specific, but quite suitable for an informal dinner
with friends around Christmas time. A good complement would be green salad (or lambs tongue salad).
I can’t say much about tradition, only that I remember my grandma made it
once for Christmas when we did it in her house, and I loved it. The love has
stayed, as has my memory and love for my grandmother-with-the-spirits.
Ingredients:
500 to 750 grams white flour (adjust according to ham size)
20 to 25 grams yeast (fresh) or dried yeast (according to amount of flour used)
10 to 15 grams salt
Water (3-5 dl)
One smoked boneless ham, uncooked, about 1 to 1.5 kg.
Make dough with the flour, yeast, salt and water. Fresh yeast can be dissolved in the water first (lukewarm
water is fine). Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes. Put it in a bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 2
hours.
Unpack the ham, cut the net away, and simmer in a kettle of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Then turn the stove
off and let the ham cool in the water until the dough is ready.
Take the ham out of the water and dry it carefully.
Make a ball out of the dough. Roll it – best is a sort of “cross form“ that looks like a 4-leafed clover. Place the
ham in the middle and cover it up with the “clover leaves.” Close the seams by putting a few drops of water
like “glue,” working the seams closed. When the bread bakes, it rises and tends to break in those places, so
this needs care.
The ham-package goes in the oven at 200 degrees C. Reduce heat to 180 or even 160 after about half an
hour – better to have it in longer than have the bread burnt and the ham still raw inside.
When done, a meat thermometer inserted in the ham’s center should read 70 degrees C. Usual cooking time
is 1.5 to 2 hours.
Feeds 6 to 10 people.

Rumpleminze pie
-- by Moonwriter

This is a variation on the traditional “Grasshopper Pie.” Its soft pink color and light flavor make is a gorgeous
and wonderful additional to your holiday feast—kind of like munching on a frozen after-dinner mint!
Ingredients:
Thin chocolate wafer cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (1 1/4 C. of crumbs)
Scant 5 T. butter, melted
30 large, fresh marshmallows
2/3 C. milk
1 oz. each crème de cacao (chocolate liqueur) and Rumpleminze (peppermint schnapps/liqueur)
1 C. heavy cream, unwhipped
Optional: red food coloring
Optional garnishes: crushed peppermints, fresh mint leaves, chocolate curls, etc.
Combine crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie plate.
Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
In a double boiler, heat milk. Add marshmallows and stir until dissolved and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
When marshmallow mixture is cool, whip cream. Gently fold the crème de cacao, Rumpleminze, and whipped
cream into the marshmallow mixture. If desired, add 1-2 drops of food coloring at this time; 1 drop makes a
very soft-looking pale pink pie.
Pile the mixture into the cooled pie shell. Cover and freeze for 10-12 hours, or overnight.
To serve, remove from freezer for about 10 minutes (for easier slicing). Garnish as desired, slice, and serve
while still frozen.

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YULE 2007

Peanut Butter Blossoms
-- by Artemis Gryphon SnowHawk

These are only made during the Yuletide season. This is Grama’s recipe, that’s come through I’m not sure
how many generations to this point, but everyone stands in line waiting for the timer to go off. I had asked
Grama for a simple peanut butter cookie recipe because I remembered her making them for me when I
was very little. Once she sent it to me, I found that it was better saved for once a year, and that was the
Yule season. (special cookie, special time of year)
Ingredients:
½ C. shortening
1 egg
½ C. white sugar
½ C. peanut butter (either crunchy or smooth - both work really well)
½ C. brown sugar
1 ¼ C. sifted flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 bag Hershey’s Kisses
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Blend together shortening, sugars, salt and egg. Add peanut butter. Stir in flour, sifted with soda.
Form the dough into balls, the size of a walnut, and place on flat pan.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately place a Hershey’s Kiss into the middle of the ball, pressing slightly.
Makes about 2 ½ dozen, depending on the size of the ball.

Moonwriter’s Molasses Crisps
-- by Moonwriter

The neat thing about these is that you stir them up in a saucepan with
a wooden spoon. No beaters/mixer, nothing else. They have to chill for
at least 2-3 hours, so start early. This makes a large recipe and can
easily be halved. The cookies come out round with a cracked, sugared
top.
Ingredients:
1 ½ C. butter (may be part margarine)
4 C. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 ½ C. sugar
½ C. dark molasses
2 eggs
In a large (4-6 qt) saucepan, melt the butter/margarine over low heat. Cool to room temperature (butter
should still be liquid).
Stir in 2 C. sugar (reserve the other 1/2 C.), molasses, and eggs and beat well with a wooden spoon.
Stir in soda, salt, spices, and then the flour 1 C. at a time. Beating smooth after each addition.
Cover and chill at least 3 hours (chill overnight if desired).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll balls in reserved 1/2 C. sugar.
Place on cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes, until dark golden.
NOTE: Letting the cookies cook just until “set” yields a softer cookie, while cooking a bit longer will make
them crispier. But beware-- with the sugar and molasses, they will scorch easily.

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YULE 2007

Gritibänze (little bread men)
-- by Eilwen

Those are traditional for Christmas and advent season for Switzerland. Many companies put one of them on
the desk of their workers on December 6, Sankt Nikolaus, or in Swiss German Samichlaus.
Santa Clause comes on Dec. 6 in Switzerland, wandering in the snow during the night from the Black Forest
in Southern Germany, with a donkey and a helper clad in black called Schmutzli. Our tradition is that on this
night, there are a lot of Samichlaus impersonators walking around, ringing families doorbells, bringing snacks
(nuts, tangerines, oranges, apples, chocolate and other sweets) and asking the kids whether they have been
good that year. The story goes that if a kid was not nice, the Samichlaus puts him/her in his big bag where
the snacks are carried in and takes them with him back into the black forest. My aunt as a kid has been carried away once!
I personally had big fear of the Samichlaus, and always hid behind the door when it rang when I was little. I
loved the sweets though, and the little bread men.
We eat them for breakfast, or in the morning / afternoon tea break.
Ingredients:
500 grams white flour
50 grams butter
About 1 tsp. salt (less if you want sweeter bread)
About 2-3 T. sugar
3 dl milk
20 grams fresh yeast (or dried equivalent)
Raisins, nuts etc. as desired
1egg yolk, beaten smooth and mixed with ¼ tsp. water
Melt the butter and set aside.
Mix salt, sugar, dried yeast, and flour in a bowl. If you use fresh yeast, dissolve it in the milk.
Pour the butter into the mixture. Add nearly all the milk. If the dough is too dry, you can add the rest of the
milk later.
Mix well and knead 5 to 10 minutes, until dough is silky smooth.
Put back in the bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let it rise and rest for about 2 hours.
When the dough is ready, form little men out of the dough. Use raisins or hazelnuts for eyes. Make them look
funny and happy.
Let them sit and rise for 15 to 20 minutes, then paint them with the egg yolk mixture for a nice colour.
Bake in the oven at about 200 degrees C for 25-35 minutes. Check one for doneness by knocking on its
backside; a hollow sound means they’re done.

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Harris Wine Cellar’s Peanut Butter Pie
-- By Moonwriter, via the Harris family

Harris Wine Cellar was a Portland institution for years; it was only a few blocks from my workplace and I’d
often walk there for lunch. I fell in love with their peanut butter pie. In the mid-90s, the family sold the shop
and moved to Redmond, reopening as a restaurant and wine cellar. My Mom lives in Redmond and soon
became a friend and devoted customer. Upon my request, Mom was able to talk them out of their recipe for
Peanut Butter Pie. It’s extremely simple to make and brings raves whenever it’s served.
Ingredients:
10 oz. full fat cream cheese (at room temperature)
2/3 C. creamy peanut butter
¾ C. powdered sugar
1/3 C. milk
9” graham cracker crust
1 container Cool Whip*
Hershey bar and/or Hershey’s syrup (garnish)
Combine cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered
sugar until blended. Cream until light and fluffy (1-2
minutes).
Slowly add milk, beating to a smooth consistency.
Spoon into piecrust and top with the entire container of
Cool Whip.
Freeze to firm up.
To serve: cut into wedges and garnish with chocolate
shavings (use a potato peeler to shave the Hershey bar)
and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Serves 8 generously. The pie may be served frozen or
simply chilled. Both are delectable!
* This could be made with heavy cream instead of Cool
Whip. If so, I’d stabilize the cream with some gelatin
(see a cookbook for instructions on doing this).

Caramels

-- by Sapphire Soleil
I’m no cook, so I never think about it! But here’s a good
one.
Ingredients:
1 C. brown sugar
2 C. white sugar
1 C. butter
1 C. light corn syrup
1 C. heavy cream
1 C. whole milk
1-2 tsp. vanilla
Extra butter (for pan)
Cook it all on medium heat until it hits softball stage—about 234 degrees F, depending on elevation.
Take off heat add some vanilla…how much? Glug, glug usually works! About two teaspoons.
Pour into 13 x 9” pre-buttered pan and let set up.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and wrap with wax paper.
Yummy!

Areeya

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42

YULE 2007

Holiday Peppermint Cookies
-- by Spirit of Youth

Ingredients:
1 C. butter, softened
¾ C. sugar
1 egg
3 C. all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ C. crushed candy canes or peppermint
candies
5 tsp. warm water
¾ C. confectioners sugar
Additional crushed candy (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and beat until
blended.
Stir in flour and salt, then the crushed candy.
Add red food coloring to dough if desired.
Roll tablespoons of dough into balls. Place on
ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes until firm.
Cool on sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire
rack to finish cooling.
Mix water and confectioner’s sugar together
to form icing. Dip top of each cooled cookie in icing (sprinkle with additional crushed
candy, if desired) and allow to dry.
Yields approximately 48 cookies.

Southern Pecan Pie
-- by Spirit of Youth

Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
3 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. broken pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
10-12 pecan halves (or more)
Mix together eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and broken pecans.
Pour filling into prepared pie shell. Arrange pecan halves decoratively around the inside edge.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake 40 minutes longer or until the center is firm.
Cool before serving.

Areeya

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

43

YULE 2007

Newgrange Sunrise
By LeopardDancer

The watchers wait, patient in the early morn.
Winter cold seeps through fur and leather.
Icy wind whistles through the narrow passage,
singing a playful herald to the new day.
Winter cold seeps through fur and leather,
breath puffing in a frosty fog.
Soft chanting heralds the new day
and the beginning of a new season.
Breath puffs in a frosty fog
as the seekers raise their voices,
welcoming the coming of a new season.
Death of winter, birth of spring.
The seekers sing on,
watching as sunlight glides along the corridor.
Start of spring, end of winter,
a vibrant song of life and death.
Sunlight marches slowly up the passage,
bursting into full radiance as the song reaches its peak.
A vibrant song of life and death,
stirring memories of past and future.
Bel’s Disc bursts into full radiance,
bathing the singers in a golden glow,
stirring memories of past and future
in timeless ceremony.
Bathed in a golden glow,
the corridor shimmers in the crisp, wintry air.
Timeless ritual, now as always before and always to be.
The watchers disperse, content in early morn.

Photo by Jymi X/0

We hope you’ve enjoyed this colorful
perspective on the Solstice!
Whispering Grey Matters is published
quarterly by the students and faculty of
the Grey School of Wizardry.
We’d love to hear from you -- contributions
are always welcome, and we’re ever on the
lookout for new additions to the Newsroom!
Please visit the NewsStand in the
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WGM Staff opportunities.
Happy Holidays, wherever you are!

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

44

YULE 2007