Grey School Newspaper 26

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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ISSUE 26

Whispering Grey Matters
Literal Magic

Issue 26 May 2010

credits
GSW
Ed: Sapphire Soleil
NEWS
Ed: Belenus
Writers: Sapphire Soleil, silverlocke
OPINION
Ed: Sapphire Soleil
Writers: Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk
WIZARDRY
Ed: Pratus
Writers: Jymi X/0, RavenMage
SCIENCE
Ed: Calyxa
Writers: Moonwriter, Pratus
ARTS & CULTURE
Ed: Moonwriter
Writers: silverlocke, Pratus
ART DESK
Ed: Jymi X/0
Lead Publisher: Jymi X/0
Assistant: Calyxa
Copy Editor: silverlocke
WELCOME NEW STAFF:
DolmaDraka, Ximera, Drakonya

contents
The Earth Day Challenge .................................... 3
Faculty Advisor: Searching for Paradise ............. 4-6
Headmaster: Global Warming or a New Ice Age? ...... 6

NEWS

Modern Discovery Lends Support to Myth .............. 7
Not Just for Gingerbread ................................. 7

OPINION

Confessions of a Wortcunning Enthusiast .............. 8
All-Around Herbs .............................................. 9

WIZARDRY

Gardening Like Gurillas ..................................... 10
Sacred Druid Plants ................................... 11-14
Runes ............................................................. 18
Tarot: Wheel of Fortune ...................................... 19
Wortcunning Readiness .................................... 20
The Practice of Smudging ................................. 24

SCIENCE

Composting .................................................... 21
The Mysteries of Phenology ........................... 22-23
Herbal Use: A Pharmacist’s View ....................... 23

ARTS & CULTURE

Poem: Summer Solstice Brew ............................. 14
Poem: Circles & Cycles in the Course of a Day ......... 17
Recipe: Homemade Ginger Ale .......................... 19
What’s the Buzz on Stevia? ....................... 25
Review: Non-Cunningham Herbals .................. 26-27
Review: Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief ...... 28

GSW NEWS

Prefect Reports ......................................... 34-25
The Golden Dragon Award ................................. 36
CONTRIBUTORS:
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Oracle, Alferian, Rain- The TWIG & TEACUP Awards ............................ 36
bow Stonetalker, EarthSong, SwirlsDancing, Nydia EARTH DAY CHALLENGE 2010 ..................... 37-39
...and all the EDC Challenge Participants

COVER PHOTO by Moonwriter
It should be noted that we procured an awful lot of
herbal photos from the Wikipedia Commons.
Huzzah for the Public Domain!

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 © 2010 Grey School, except where otherwise noted. Copyrights
revert to original authors and artists upon
publication.

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ISSUE 26

As I write this, the annual Earth Day Challenge is
only a week or so away! This will be the sixth annual Earth Day Challenge, a time when Grey School
students, staff, and faculty come together to nurture
and support Mother Earth.
The first EDC was held in 2005, only six months after
the Grey School had opened. The participants had
such a good time that the Challenge has become an
annual event that is eagerly anticipated by many as
the high point of their GSW year.
But what actually happens during the Earth Day Challenge?
First of all, students are organized into teams. In
the first years, teams were arranged according to
elemental groups: Houses and Lodges. But for the
last two years, teams have been mixtures from every
House and Lodge—students have really enjoyed this,
as it’s given them a chance to hang out with people that they don’t usually get to hobnob with. Each
team brings together a blend of adults and youths,
students and faculty, and veteran and rookie members.
At the outset of the EDC, each team must choose
a Captain and a name and must get to know each
other. Immediately after, they’re presented with a list
of formidable challenges. Their task is to use their
resources—and each other—to complete as many of
the tasks as possible in the time allotted, which is
usually a little less than three weeks.

The

Earth Day
Challenge
By Prof. Moonwriter

One team “wins” the EDC, but in truth, everyone who
takes part wins. Not only do the students learn more
about nature studies, magick, and all kinds of other
nifty “stuff” while giving service to their home planet,
but the team building and camaraderie among the
groups is typically the best part of the experience.
Students are left feeling a combination of euphoria
and exhaustion by the end of the Challenge, and tend
to bubble over and ramble on about the experience
when asked.
In the last year or two, the reach of the EDC has extended past the one month each year that we spend
on the actual challenge. Participation in the EDC can
fulfill a portion of the service requirement for Nature
Studies Majors and also is required for the “Knights of
Gaia” award series. Also, thanks to the design skills
of GSW student Calyxa in 2009, we now have a special EDC patch that may be purchased and worn by
those who have participated in one or more EDCs.
As always, a big group have signed up for this year’s
Challenge, and with any luck, we’ll be able to report the results later in this very issue of WGM. Stay
tuned! In the meantime, if you’d like to see some of
the results first-hand, check the GSW Downloads link
on the school main page, where you’ll find an EDC
section with answer documents from previous challenges.

SEE PAGES 37-39 FOR FULL COVERAGE OF THE 2010 GSW EARTH DAY CHALLENGE!

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ISSUE 26

Searching for

Paradise

By Prof. Moonwriter
(Excerpted from a longer paper examining the garden paradise)
There once was a King’s son. Nobody had so many or
such beautiful books as he had. He could read about
everything which had ever happened in the world,
and see it all represented in the most beautiful pictures. He could get information about every nation
and every country, but as to where the Garden of
Paradise was to be found, not a word could he discover; and this was the very thing he thought most
about. (Anderson 1)

west, or somewhere else—indeed, anywhere else. A
key tenet of paradise is that it invariably seems to
describe a place where one is not, a place far superior to that on which the seeker currently stands, and
a place the seeker is unlikely to find.

Paradise is believed to represent idyllic perfection,
beauty, abundance, and immortality, a place where
conventional time seems to stop or ceases to matter,
and nowhere does this hold more true than in the
garden. The word paradise comes from the Persian
pairidaeza, literally pairi (around) and diz (to mold),
and refers to “a magical garden surrounding the holy
mountain of the Gods, where the Tree of Life bore
the fruit of immortality” (Giamatti 11; Walker 768).
In Hebrew, paradise is pardes, a garden derived from
the same virgin paradise—and the word Eden means
“place of delight” (Walker 768, 770). The terrestrial
paradise is closely identified with its most perfect incarnation, the Garden of Eden, considered by many
to not only be the prototype of all gardens, but the
only real garden. According to the Christian Bible,
after the fall of man, the Garden of Eden was not
destroyed, but only barred to man by an angel with a
flaming sword. Since then, the suggestion of Eden’s
continued existence continues to tantalize humankind and has fomented the fascination with the concept of garden-as-paradise.

Conceptual paradise is typically portrayed as a place
that stands outside of reality in some unfamiliar and
unworldly location. Many—if not most—cultures have
their own version of paradise. The place described as
Cockaigne alludes to an Old French description of an
imaginary land of easy and luxurious living. Fairyland (or Faeryland) is the imaginary kingdom of fairies (faeries), a place of feasting and opulence where
time as humans know it ceases to exist (Pickett 355,
636). The Greek Xenophon wrote of the huge garden parks which the Persian nobles built for recreation and hunting, while Hyperborea—a place known
to Greek mythology—describes a perpetually warm
and sunny land north of the source of the north wind
(Pickett 863). The Irish call their paradise Tier na Og,
the country of eternal youth (Walker 771). Within
this magical place, a fountain dispenses the Water of
Life and grants eternal youth. St. Brendan the voyager is rumored to have discovered a Fountain of
Youth in one of the isles of the west. Ponce de Leon
subsequently looked for it, and claimed to find a
similar Fountain in Florida. The British celebrate the
druidic magic of Avalon, an island paradise that exists in the same space as the Glastonbury Abbey, and
which—according to legend—can only be entered by
initiates who know the way.

The concept of the earthly garden paradise usually
describes “a place of perfect beauty, peace, and immortality, widely believed in the Middle Ages to exist
on earth in some undiscovered land” (Murphy 302).
Terrestrial or earthly paradise is almost always described in terms of a garden, a place of peace, repose, and beauty. The origin of “garden” is in the
Indo-European root gher, to grasp or enclose, and
when one spends time in a familiar garden, that garden becomes a miniaturized, enclosed world, and a
near-magical space. In Anderson’s tale, “The Garden
of Paradise,” the East Wind claims that Eden “sank
into the ground, but kept its warm sunshine, mild
air, and all its charms. The queen of the fairies lives
there. The Island of Bliss, where death never enters,
and where living is a delight, is there, too” (9). To
find this paradise, one might be told to head east,

Gardens may be both mythic archetype and real
place. A sense of mysticism is seen in the garden as
retreat, a metaphorical space which is at once within
the world and set apart from it, and one cannot spend
time in a garden without coming to understand its
cycles, and without feeling the ebb and flow of the
life, death, and fecundity bounded by the turning of
the great seasonal wheel. The garden is both real
and mythic, both wild and cultivated, a place that
is carefully tended while simultaneously unpredictable and where life and death exist side by side and
with seasonal regularity. The parallels to humanity
are both striking and irresistible. According to Facknitz, the garden confronts us with “the inescapable
clash of the splendors and sorrows of the human
condition” (292). In describing paradise-as-garden,
Giamatti mentions the twin themes of every garden,

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

namely the external—concerned with the place’s location—and the internal—concerned with its way of
life. Facknitz also discusses the stylistic, mystical descriptions of the place, as in “there is no cold or heat
… not can the fruit die nor the trees wither,” and
equates these with the methods used by the great
western mystics in describing God (84).

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ISSUE 26

and places in terms of the “east.” In Anderson’s “The
Garden of Paradise,” the Prince travels to Paradise
with the East Wind, who is costumed as a Chinaman
in rich silks and brocades. The East Wind tells of his
travels to China that day, describing porcelain towers
and a rare visit with “the old Phoenix, the only one
in the world” (9). Despite his tales, the conversation seems to suggest that although China is a miraculous place, the Garden of Paradise will surpass it.
Next day, the actual trip to Paradise takes place, the
Prince riding atop the East Wind as they follow a long
flight path over woods, oceans, and finally through a
frozen cavern (10-11).

The locus amoenus is a Renaissance-based romantic description of the garden-pastoral, a beautiful, shaded natural site. According to Giamatti, the
amoenus “serves to conjure up level green vistas,
water, shade, and fragrance,” with the pastoral location “bringing one’s environment into harmony with
one’s standards and needs” (45).
The East Wind … pointed before them where a beautiful blue
The amoenus’ components comprise a tree (or several trees), a
light was shining. The blocks of stone above them grew dimmer
meadow, and a spring or brook;
and dimmer, and at last they became as transparent as a white
it may also include animals, flowers, or other components as decloud in the moonshine. The air was also deliciously soft, as
sired by the writer. Common feafresh as on the mountaintops and as scented as down among the
tures of magical gardens include
roses in the valley. A river ran there as clear as the air itself,
isolation (both in terms of geographical ambivalence and of litand the fish in it were like gold and silver. Purple eels, which
erally being secreted behind engave out blue sparks with every curve, gamboled about in the
closures, within labyrinths, etc.),
the presence of guardians, magiwater, and the broad leaves of the water lilies were tinged with
cal music or sounds (or the call
the hues of the rainbow. The flowers themselves were like fiof supernatural “female” sirens),
ery orange flames, nourished by the water, just as oil keeps a
a verdant and lush setting, and
often shepherd-like pastures.
lamp constantly burning. A firm bridge of marble, as delicately
A prevailing temperate climate,
and skillfully carved as if it were lace and glass beads, led over
fragrant scents, and the suggestion of eternal springtime provide
the water to the Island of Bliss, where the Garden of paradise
a sense of escapism and add to
bloomed. (Anderson 11-12).
the feeling of the idyll.
The garden may echo the life force as well. In the
Christian Bible, the “enclosed garden” in Solomon’s
Song is a metaphor for the virgin bride, whose lifegiving fountains have not yet been opened or accessed, creating a trope of woman as garden, and
the garden as a living female body, the fruit of the
“mother” earth. Definitions of a land that flows with
milk and honey are probably representational of the
mother’s body and breasts. Some feminist scholars
equate the search for paradise with the eternal quest
for mother, and portray every child’s inevitable separation from their mother as a “paradise lost” (Henry
288). In his epic, Don Quixote, Cervantes portrays
the earth and nature as mother: “All then was peace
… the heavy coulter of the arching plough had not
yet ventured to open and enter the tender womb of
our first mother, for she, without any compulsion,
yielded from every part of her broad and fertile bosom everything to satisfy, sustain and delight the
children the possessing her” (85).
Paradise-gardens are often orientalized, i.e., related
in hyper-described, idealized, exotic terms. A particularly common orientalist trope describes people

Time is the greatest threat to life in the natural garden. But while all living things are subject to the laws
of time and the realities of life and death, time has
no meaning within the garden-paradise. In Spenser’s
Fairie Queen’s Garden of Adonis, the Genius guards
the gate through which old people enter and young
babies leave, a reversed cycle—or a recycling—of regeneration that gives meaning to the disruption of
real time. Spenser writes, “For all that lives, is subject to that law: / All things decay in time, and to
their end to draw” [III. vi. 40], and “All be he subject
to mortalitie, / Yet is eterne in mutabilitie, / And by
succession made perpetuall” [Spenser III. vi. 47]. In
this way, the Garden of Adonis is a fruitful place and
full of life, yet a type of anti-paradise as well.
Whatever one’s opinion on the subject, the yearning continues. What is paradise? Ask ten people, and
you’ll likely receive ten different answers. Pickett
writes that “the history of paradise is an extreme example of amelioration, the process by which a word
comes to refer to something better than what it used
to refer to” (1274). Perhaps we look too long, too

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ISSUE 26

hard, too far past our own front door. Perhaps the search for paradise is not so much a search for place as
it is for an ideal. In a Universe ruled by the law of entropy, maybe humans are foolish to seek anything remotely akin to perfection. Nevertheless, as with Hans Christian Anderson’s young prince, it is the thing we
think most about.
Works Cited

Anderson, Hans Christian. “The Garden of Paradise.” Anderson’s Fairy Tales. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1955.
Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. New York: Penguin, 2001.
Facknitz, Mark A. R. “Character, Compromise, and Idealism in Willa Cather’s Gardens.” Cather Studies 5.1 (2003): p291, 17p.
Giamatti, A Bartlett. The Earthly Paradise and the Renaissance Epic. Princeton: Princeton U Press, 1966.
Henry, Jules. Pathways to Madness. New York: Random, 1965.
Murphy, Bruce (Ed.) Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. (4th Ed.) New York: Harper, 1996.
Pickett, Joseph P. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
Spenser, Edmund. The Fairie Queene. Edmund Spenser’s Poetry. A Norton Critical Edition. (3rd Ed.) Eds. MacLean, Hugh and Anne
Lake Prescott. New York: Norton, 1993.
Walker, Barbara. The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. San Francisco: Harper, 1983.

Global Warming,
or a NEW ICE AGE?
By Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Headmaster
So, what’s all this confusion over reconciling this unusually severe winter
with the prospect of global warming?
Is there a flaw in the reasoning here?
Well, yes there is, but it’s not what
most people seem to think.
All this unusually heavy snow and
freezing weather clear down to Florida
is directly due to global warming melting the Arctic sea ice, and raising the
sea levels. This also allows more of the
warm water from the Gulf Stream to
flow around Iceland through the shallow Greenland Sea, further warming
the Arctic Ocean and increasing the
melting of its ice. With the ice gone,
the Arctic water can evaporate into
the atmosphere, where the polar jet
stream then brings it down all over
as snow--vast quantities of snow. In
this perpetual Fimbulvintr (the endless winter of the Viking Ragnarok)
winters will get more and more severe
and the snow will just keep coming
until in the northernmost latitudes it
builds up into huge ice sheets, which
eventually begin migrating southward
to cover the land in a new Ice Age.
Eventually, so much of the sea’s wa-

ters will be piled up on land in these
ice sheets that the sea level will drop
hundreds of feet, and the Greenland
Sea will again become too shallow
for the Gulf Stream to flow through
it into the Arctic Ocean. By that time
the vast ice sheets will be reflecting so much sunlight back into space
that the polar temperature will again
plummet, and the Arctic Ocean will
once again freeze over, thus cutting
off the evaporation of its water and
hence ending the endless snowfall.
With no new snow feeding them, the
glaciers will very gradually begin receding, and as they melt, their water
will flow back into the oceans, raising
their level to where it is presently, and
the world will warm to a new interglacial period such as we’ve enjoyed for
the past 10,500 years.
But this will be a long time coming—
the last glacial epoch began about
110,000 years ago and ended about
9,600 BCE, reaching its maximum
about 18.000 years ago, when people
were starting to paint on the walls of
caves. I’m not looking forward to another 100,000 years of ice and snow!

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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ISSUE 26

Modern Discovery Lends Support to Myth
By Belenus

For months archeologists have been unearthing a religious sanctuary dedicated to the Goddess Diana.
In February of this year, news was released that the
excavation team, led by Filippo Coarelli, may have
found evidence supporting a Roman myth.
The myth was of the “Golden Bough.” In the legend,
the Trojan hero Aeneas received a vision of his father,
who called him to visit him in the Underworld where
he would be given prophesies about his people. He
was instructed to carry a branch of golden leaves
with him for safe passage through Hades.
The discovery is in Italy, outside of Nemi. “After
months of excavations in the volcanic soil, they (the
archeology team) unearthed the remains of a stone
enclosure.” (1) It is claimed that this structure might
have protected the Golden Bough.

A second interpretation is that the site is where the
tree was guarded by a tribal leader. Anyone could
break off a branch of the tree and then challenge the
leader to a fight to the death. If the challenger won
the contest, he would then take the leader’s place.
References:
“Golden Bough – Myth Encyclopedia.” http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Fi-Go/Golden-Bough.html (no date)
Squires, Nick. “Golden Bough from Roman Mythology Found in
Italy.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/Europe/italy/7258607/Golden-Bough-from-Roman-mythology-found-in-Italy.htm 18 Feb. 2010

Not just for gingerbread!

An old remedy gets scientific backing
by Sapphire Soleil

Listen up, Ladies! If you experience that unique
cramping feeling once a month, you might try reaching for a couple of cups of ginger tea instead of the
ibuprofen. Long considered a remedy for menstrual
cramps in China, the use of Zingiber officinale or ginger to ease the aching pain of cramps is finally getting some modern science to back the claim.
A recent study published in the Journal of Alternative
and Complementary Therapy showed that in a blind
test 150 women found that using 250 mg of ginger
worked just as well or better than using 400 mg of
ibuprofen. While the ‘n’ of the scientific sample is
probably too small for definitive proof, it is still an
excellent start.
If taking a ginger pill seems dull, then a tea will also
work. Take 1 inch of fresh ginger—sliced and five
cups of water. Bring the water to a boil in a pan.
Dump in the ginger slices and reduce the heat to a
simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the infusion and add
two tablespoons of brown sugar, stir until dissolved
and enjoy. According to Yi-Ping Chang at Healthmad.
com, the brown sugar also helps calm the nerves and
relieve pain as well as the ginger, so he recommends
using both together.
Drink up to 250ml (just over a cup) twice daily while
cramps persist. Ginger is considered quite safe and
that in small amounts, it won’t cause side-effects
that aspirin or ibuprofen might.

Sources:
Castleman, Michael, The Herb Quarterly, Spring 2010 “Ginger for
Cramps” p. 10
Chang, Yi-Ping, A natural way to relieve cramps, Healthmad.com.
October 2007 http://healthmad.com/women/a-natural-way-torelieve-menstrual-cramps/

See p.19 for Prof. Moonwriter’s Ginger Ale recipe!

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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ISSUE 26

Confessions of a

Novice Wortcunning
Enthusiast

-- Sapphire Soleil

Let me make one thing clear from
the get-go. While I live in some of the most beautiful
land in the world, the wilds of Northern Idaho with
its lakes, and rolling hills and fields and trees, I am
not an outdoorsy kinda girl. My idea of camping is a
Motel 8 with bad cable reception.
Neither of my parents were campers or fishers or
hikers and, if given the choice, I’ll take the museum over a camp-out every day of the week. (And
me a Camp Fire Girl too! The shame of it!) But,
my friends, something happened a few months ago.
It’s been creeping up on me for a while now, but I
noticed that when I do go out and perform a ritual
outside or even just take the dog for a walk, I really
love it. I’m having so much fun learning all the new
stuff I need to learn.

Why this new found enthusiasm? Because, dear
friends, when I’m outside puttering in the garden or
hiking on the mountain, I feel the magick of Gaia
flowing in and around me and it is magnificent! I’m
learning to identify the different energy signals so
I might be able to work with them and enjoy them
even more as I grow in this practice. I find I like the
hard work, the fresh air, and I’m really quite good at
weeding (Now that I know what is a weed and what
isn’t. Sorry about cutting down the clematis, Dad.)
With all the energy and wonder of a newcomer to
thousands of years of information and learning, I’ve
dived in, face first, and am happily drowning in the
heady green of the world around me. It is almost
overwhelming , there is so much to know and that
feels magickal too.
Could camping be next? Well, let us
not get too hasty here.

o

Four years ago, I didn’t know what lavender looked
like, now I grow it regularly in several different cultivars (I know what a cultivar is!) Three years ago, I
had to ask a friend what the cute, smelly little plant
in my garden was. She smiled kindly and told me it
was thyme. Now I’m finishing up Herbal Formulary
301 with Professor Moonwriter and my herb of choice
to start my new herbal is Thymus vulgaris—common
thyme. Two years ago, I bought a plant that I liked
at the nursery. Someone asked me what it was and
I said it was a Monrovia. Well, that’s what it said on
the container! (For those who, like me, don’t know,
Monrovia is a gardening company that ships plants
all over the US.) Now, I look at the tag and make a
record of what I put in my garden.

Photo by Moonwriter

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

9

ISSUE 26

All Around Herbs
by Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk

Starting on your magickal path also starts a lot of
reading. This reading and the research you do results in learning about correspondences. You learn
to use an herb here, a different herb there, another
herb somewhere else. Suddenly, you have lots of
herbs to keep on-hand. Remembering what they’re
all for is a task for some of us. What if you’re performing a working and realize you’re out of the herb
you need?

decorates the grave of one of our best dogs, who we
had named Solomon. I was interested to learn that
this herb actually is used in many cultures. Hindu
Aryvedic uses to for calm and imbalance. The West
use it to soothe harsh coughs. Others use it as an
alternate form of ginseng.
Lavender (lavendula august folia) keeps away insects,
is relaxing, helpful in both divination and teamwork,
good for protection, and the bonus is that it is very
pretty on the garden. Plant it close to your entryways
for home protection.
Thyme (thymus vulgaris) has so many magickal uses
it’s too lengthy a list for this article. It is not only
tasty in a variety of dishes, but it also helps with
(here is a short list) cleansing, clairvoyance, protection, renewal, healing, fairy magick and money luck,
to begin the list of benefits from this herb.
If you’re looking for an herb that offers a little protection yet can be multi-purposed, you have a choice.
Doesn’t that make life a lot more fun?

Lavender
Grey School (GSW) teaches correspondences, which
is a handy thing to have, in our Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard! Other herbs can be substituted.
You don’t even have to wait for the class on correspondences to learn that. Just referencing the
Grimoire helps, especially when starting out with no
background in magic helps. One comes across other
herbs that could be substituted when reading other
books on herbs. Then you realize the same names
come up frequently. This happened to me, when I
realized that Patchouli kept coming up. It stuck with
me because the word was not one I had been familiar with. Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth) helps
with protection, strength and power. Then lavender
popped up a lot. Recently, while I was researching
something else, I found that people had preferences
for herbs that weren’t patchouli. Why, I thought?
It is such an all-purpose herb. Why use anything
else?
Of course curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to see what others used as their “go-to” herb. So,
I went to General Chatter and asked. The responses
were interesting. Some people have more than one.
Others found they shared their favorites with others
in school. Lots of students favored mints, lavender
and thyme. One suggested Solomon’s Seal, which
I have, but have never used. I have it because it

Thyme
REFERENCES
Grey School of Wizardry “General Chatter” forum. (Specific thread
not available.)
“Rhiana Moonstar’s Little Witch House.” http://www.littlewitchhouse.com/ 2008.
S, W. “The Magickal Properties of Essential Oils.” http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/986522/the_magical_properties_of_
essential.html?cat=24 10 Sept. 2008.

Above: Patchouli blossoms

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Gardening
Like
Guerillas
By Prof. Moonwriter, Co-Advisor of WGM
As I write this, Earth Day is only days away. Combine
that with the annual pull of spring and this gardener’s thoughts begin to fixate on getting her hands
into the dirt. I also find myself aware not only of the
flowers and flowering trees and fields around me but
of all the other bare spots where there could be flowers…. If only.
Have you ever heard of “guerilla gardening”? Guerilla
gardening is the act of planting seeds, bulbs, trees,
and plant starts in neglected or untended areas. It’s
the practice of beautifying and nurturing the earth
one empty spot at a time, or, as guerilla gardeners
like to say, exercising one’s freedom to garden by
“Fighting the Fifth with flowers and forks.” Pitchforks,
that is!
Guerilla gardeners might let a handful of wildflower
seed drift—ever so casually—through their fingers,
sowing the soil of an abandoned freeway median.
They might dig in rhizomes, bulbs, or small plant
starts within a vacant lot. They might even slip in
a tree here or there. Many guerilla gardeners work
at night, dropping onto a site like a cover special
ops group and moving in and out in the flash of an
eye. Others operate in plain sight, opportunists with
handfuls of loose seed and plant food stored in each
pocket.
Why guerilla garden? Two words: practicality and
beauty. What would you rather see: an empty field
or a field rich with flowers and humming with bees?
Sow wildflowers and you provide food and cover for
bees, butterflies, spiders, and a number of small critters as well as a rich habitat for birds. Green plants
enrich and cool the soil and remove toxins from the
air. Trees go a step further, processing carbon dioxide and giving back fresh oxygen to the atmosphere,
ready for us to breathe.

Photo by Moonwriter

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ISSUE 26

Plants used in guerilla gardening should be fairly durable, for the gardener may or may not come back
to tend them. Some always-safe flowers for planting
just about anywhere include echinacea (purple coneflower), forget-me-nots, ox-eye daisies, sunflowers, and daffodils. Where might you try your hand
at this form of rebellious gardening? Perhaps there’s
an untended road bank, parking strip, or vacant lot
near your home. You might even plan a little magick:
imagine planting seeds associated with prosperity
outside a food bank, or those of protection outside a
schoolyard.
However your plans materialize, remember a few
rules of safety and ethics:
First, the idea is to sow beauty and nourish the Earth.
But you don’t want to break the law in doing so. Be
sure you’re not trespassing on private property, etc.
You might even consider asking the owner’s permission: many will be thrilled to have their untended
areas beautified with plants.
Second, only use seeds or plants that are part of that
ecosystem. Do your research and choose flowers,
shrubs, and trees that would normally grow in that
location. Bringing in non-native plants and seeds can
throw everything out of whack and cause more damage than good.
Third, if operating at night, please be careful. Youth
students: no matter how much you love the idea of
guerilla gardening, your parents are still legally responsible for you and should know what you’re up to.
Maybe they’ll want to help!
Now…. Let’s all get out there and spruce up our own
little corners of the world….

For more information, see the Guerilla Gardening site: http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

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ISSUE 26

Sacred Druid Plants
By RavenMage

Brighid:
Celtic Saint, and Druid Goddess of Healing
Brighid is both an ancient Celtic Goddess and a Christian Saint. Among her myriad of arts and skills, she
is the patroness of midwives, herbalists, brewers and
healers – in other words, the Celtic Healing Arts.
In Druidic times, there were healing colleges which
continued into the age of Christianity. Saint Brighid
was said to have founded healing centers throughout
Ireland and Britain. Wells dedicated to her are found
throughout the British Isles. Even the powerful healing center at Glastonbury is said to have once had a
“Bride’s well”, now lost under a car park.
Saint Brighid’s cross is a healing talisman, representing the four elements, with which she could heal.
(Source: Brighid’s Healing, Ireland’s Celtic Medicinal)
Diancecht, Miach, and Airmid

for the heart, etc. But no sooner had she begun that
Diancecht appeared, and shook her cloak, scattering
the herbs. Despite this, Airmid was able to remember many of the positions of the plants, and she traveled the length of Ireland, teaching the herbal ways,
and became the patroness of Irish herbalists.
(source: Brighid’s Healing, Ireland’s Celtic Medicinal
Traditions)

DRUID HERBS
Pliny’s Natural History states that the Druids had four
sacred herbs. Two of them are well known today
– Vervain (trombhad in Gaelic) and Mistletoe (Druidh-lus in Gaelic). Pliny also named two other plants
– Selago and Samolus, which are unknown. According to Philip Carr-Gomm, the Chosen Chief of the
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Selego is probably fir club moss and Samolus may be Brookweed,
Pasque-flower, Water Pimpernel or Marshwort. (CarrGomm, pg.101)

In Irish mythology, Diancecht was a Druid herbalist/
physician among the Tuatha de Danaan, (who inhabited Ireland before the Milesian Celts). According
to the legends, he had a son, Miach and a daughter, Airmid, who were also physicians. The family
possessed a huge cauldron that they kept filled with
herbs and chanted healing spells which brought the
wounded back to health.
During the battle of Moytura against the Fir Bolg,
Nuada, the Chief of the de Danaans, lost his hand
in combat. According to Irish law, a king must be
perfect to reign, so Diancecht set to work to fashion
a silver hand to replace the one the king had lost.
In the meantime, Miach used his own magical arts
to restore the severed hand to Nuada’s arm, making
him whole again, and fit to rule. The tribal people
rejoiced to have their ruler restored to them.
Miach’s father, Diancecht, fell into a rage that his audacious son’s healing arts had surpassed his own,
and he murdered him! The legends do not tell what
became of Diancecht after that, but his son was buried in a sacred place – at Tara.
His sorrowing sister, Airmid, attended his gravesite,
and noticed that a different herb grew from each part
of the ground over the corpse. She realized that
there was a pattern – there were 365 herbs, and
each grew over the part of the body that they were
designed to heal. Dutifully, Airmid gathered the
herbs and pinned them to her cloak in the appropriate place, thus cataloguing each herb with the part of
the body it healed; dandelion for the liver, chamomile
for the stomach, comfrey for the bones, hawthorn

Vervain
Vervain etymology:
Trombhad (Scots Gaelic)
Verbena Officinalis (Latin)
This holy plant was known by a variety of names
which indicate the high esteem with which it was
held, Enchanter’s Plant, Herb of Grace, Holy Wort,
and Wizard’s Plant. Druids harvested this magical
plant before it flowered, during Dark Moon, under
the rising star of Sirius. (Carr-Gomm, pg. 101)
The Druids cut their plants with a sickle, some say
made of gold, held in the left hand. In exchange,
honey was offered to the earth. Vervain was used in
medicine as a cure all, and in magic for inspiration

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ISSUE 26

sacred well (especially a Bride’s well), include some.
Cover the surface of the bowl with vervain leaves
and flowers, and let it set under the full moon or
noon sun (depending on whether you want a Lunar
or Solar infusion). Afterwards, cull the plant parts
off the surface and save them to dry and include in
a Druid incense later. Bottle the water in a glass jar
and keep it in a cool, dark, dry place. This is your
“matrix” water. When preparing for a ceremony, you
can re-fill your blessing bowl with spring water, and
pour nine drops from your matrix bottle. Use this to
lathe or sprinkle the boundaries of your ceremony
and the participants.
In summary, Vervain is a powerful Druidic herb used
in healing the body, mind, and spirit. Druids used it
during initiations, and probably to clear the atmosphere during mediation between warring tribes.

(awen, imbas), divination, and prophecy (fiosachd).
It was one of the magical herbs included in Cerridwen’s cauldron of inspiration (awen), which gave
the bard Taliesan his poetic power. (Carr-Gomm, pg.
101)
Scott Cunningham states that “Vervain is gathered
at Midsummer or the rising of the Dog Star when
neither Sun nor Moon is out” (Cunningham, pg. 217)
Among the Celtic deities, Vervain is sacred to Kerridwen (Cunningham, pg. 216). Druids were crowned
with vervain upon initiation as a sign of their rank
(Cunningham, pg. 216). “A crown of vervain protects magicians while invoking spirits” (Cunningham,
pg. 217.) The herb is also used to bring peace and
calm into the home (Cunningham, pg. 217). Druids,
as mediators and peace makers may well have used
vervain to help achieve their efforts.
For its medicinal uses, I turned to Ellen Evert Hopman’s excellent A Druid’s Herbal. Vervain is a perennial plant found in Europe Africa and Asia. There
is also an American variety – Verbena hastata, also
known as “blue vervain”. (Hopman, pg. 109)
Among its multitude of medicinal uses, Vervain tea
is known to purge the bladder of stones, increase
breast milk of lactating mothers, lower fever, clear
skin, and cleanse the kidney and liver (Hopman, pg.
110). To make the tea, steep one tablespoon per
cup of boiling water for twenty minutes. This should
render about a cup of tea. Let it cool to your heat
tolerance, then drink. You can add a little honey as
a sweetener. Vervain tea is available at most health
food stores. You can also make vervain tinctures.
Vervain can also be used externally, made into poultices and used for ear infections, rheumatism and
wounds (Hopman, pg. 110).
Make a Vervain “blessing bowl”. Designate a bowl to
be used in blessing or purification ceremonies. Fill
it with pure spring water. If you have water from a

Mistletoe
Gathering the Mistletoe
On the Sixth day after the new moon
A procession of village folk.
Gathered to seek a special boon
Underneath the ancient oak.
They spied a clump of mistletoe
High in the oaken canopy
The berries gave a milky glow
Against bare limbs of the winter tree.
A white robed Druid climbed the boughs
With his golden sickle blade
A green circlet of ivy ‘round his brow
His long dark hair caught up in a braid.
Extending his body along a stout limb
He could just reach the holy plant
Anxiously below they waited for him
And began their sacred chant.
Uil-ioc! Draoidh-lus!
Sùgh an Daraich!
Stretched beneath the gnarled wood
A sheet of white linen was spread
For the herb to touch the ground would
Be an ominous omen of dread.
Deftly the Druid cut the stem
And the herb fell upon the sheet
A cheer rose from within the glen
And the deed was declared complete.
A white bull was sacrificed that night
And a midwinter feast was held for all
The herb was preserved for a holy rite
A gift from the venerable Druids of Gaul.
smb, 2006

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Mistletoe Etymology:
Old English:
Misteltán, (mistl means “different” and tán means
“twig” in Old English. I’ve also read the mistl means
“dung”, referring to the fact that bird dung spreads
the plant in the trees. (Carr-Gomm, pg. 80)
Alternative names:
Golden Bough, Holy Wood, Birdlime
Celtic translations:
There are three words or phrases for “Mistletoe”
in Scottish Gaelic which gives an indication of the
high esteem the plant was held amongst the ancient
Scots:
Uil-ioc - All heal or make whole
Draoidh-lus – Druid’s herb

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Distribution: Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, spread by
bird droppings. There are roughly
1,200 species world wide. (Grieve, Vol. II, pgs. 5478)
Environment: Mistletoe lives high in the canopy of
both softwoods and hardwood trees. Varieties of
Mistletoe are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
and America. (Grieve, Vol. II, pgs. 547-8)
Propagation: “When one of the familiar sticky berries of the Mistletoe comes into contact with the bark
of a tree - generally through the agency of birds after a few days it sends forth a thread-like root,
flattened at the extremity like the proboscis of a fly.
This finally pierces the bark and roots itself firmly
in the growing wood, from which it has the power
of selecting and appropriating to its own use, such
juices as are fitted for its sustenance: the wood of
Mistletoe has been found to contain twice as much
potash, and five times as much phosphoric acid as
the wood of the foster tree. Mistletoe is a true parasite, for at no period does it derive nourishment from
the soil, or from decayed bark, like some of the fungi
do - all its nourishment is obtained from its host. The
root becomes woody and thick”. (Grieve, Vol. II, pgs.
547-8) Unlike any other known parasitic plant, the
mistletoe berries take on some of the properties of
the tree it grows on. (Carr-Gomm, pg. 80)
Ellen Evert Hopman provides a wealth of information
in her Druid’s Herbal.

Sùgh an Daraich - Juice, sap or dearest of the Oak
(Source: Gaelic Dictionary by Malcolm MacLennan,
Mercat Press)
In Irish, it is Drualus, which is “herb of the Druids”.
(source: English-Irish Dictionary by De Bhaldraithe,
An Gum Press)
In Welsh, it is uchelwydd. Uchel translates as “high”.
The New Welsh Dictionary by Christopher Davies says
of mistletoe: “Uchelwydd. Planhigyn yn tyfu ar goed
eraill ac iddo aeron gwyn.” (Translation by Sam from
the OBOD Message Board: “Mistletoe. A plant which
grows on other trees and with it berries white.”)
In Brittany, it is called Herbe de la Croix, after an
old legend that the cross was made from this wood,
after which God punished it by changing it into a
parasite. (Grieve, Vol. II, pg. 547)
Latin translation:
Viscum Album. Ovid wrote, “Ad viscum Druidae cantare solebant.” (The Druids are wont to sing to the
mistletoe). (Hopman, pg. 100)

Hopman says, “According to Pliny, the Druid priest or
priestess would wear white robes to gather the herb,
which was cut down on the sixth day of the moon or
at Midsummer. A golden knife was used to gather
the plant, and tremendous care was taken that it
not touch the ground.” (Hopman, pg. 101) In other
references I’ve read that mistletoe was gathered at
midwinter, when the berries are ripe. I have come to
believe that mistletoe represents both solstices and
can be gathered at either time. It is gathered during
the two solstices, but at a certain phase of the moon.
I have also read references to the star-like quality of
the berries, bringing in a stellar affiliation. Truly a
universal plant!
Hopman tells us that Mistletoe grows from northern
Europe to northwest Africa, and east to Asia and Japan. I would add that it grows in Northern America
as well. I obtain my Yule mistletoe from the oak
trees growing in Sonoma County, California. Mistletoe is classified as a parasite which grows on different types of trees, both hard and soft woods, most
commonly on apple where it is held to be sacred
since both are considered healing. It also grows on
Elm, Spruce, Pine, Poplar, and Oak, “where it is held
most potent and sacred”, being the holiest of Druidic trees. (Hopman, pg. 101) Grieve also mentions
Hawthorn, Ash, Lime, Larch, and Cedar. I imagine
that Mistletoe picks up the central energy of any tree

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ISSUE 26

that it grows on, and intensifies it.

January 2007.

Mistletoe blends its own healing energy with the tree
it is growing on, so if you gathered mistletoe from
a poplar, it would combine the energies of mistletoe
and poplar (a seer’s tree). Remember - It is a bad
omen to let the plant fall to the earth while gathering.

Freeman, Mara. Kindling the Celtic Spirit. San Francisco: Harper,
2000
Grieve, Maude. “Botanical.com: A Modern Herbal” http://botanical.com/ 2010.
Hopman, Ellen Evert. A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year.
Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1995.
Hopman, Ellen Evert. “Ellen Evert Hopman – Herbalist, Druid
Priestess, Author.” http://www.elleneverthopman.com. 19992010.
McGarry, Gina. “Brigid’s Academy of Healing Arts.” http://www.
brighidsacadamy.com/gina.html (No date)
McGarry, Gina. Brighid’s Healing, Ireland’s Celtic Medicinal Traditions. Sutton Mallet, UK: Green Magic, 2005.

Summer Solstice Brew
By RavenMage
There is another oddity about this incredible plant.
Hopman writes, “the berries ripen in midwinter and
have a further peculiarity in that the ripe berries,
open flowers, green berries, and immature leaves
can all be found on the same plant” at the same
time. Mistletoe does not follow a sequence like all
other plants. In this way, it simulates the timelessness of the Faerie realms, where time is irrelevant.
“It also seems to ignore heliotropism and geotropism
– it will grow upside down, sideways, or in any direction it chooses.” So space is irrelevant as well. Truly
a plant of deep mystery! Most plants germinate in
the dark, but mistletoe requires light. The flowers
bud in May, but don’t usually open until February,
and the process from fruit to flower can take nearly
two years. (Hopman, pg. 101)
Mara Freeman writes that at the Druid’s Winter Solstice ceremony, “the proceedings began with an invocation to the moon as one who ‘healed all things’.
Since the Druids regarded mistletoe as a universal
healer, perhaps they believed its pearly white berries
contained the essence of the moon.” (Freeman, pg.
364)
References:
Black, Susa Morgan. “Mistletoe Magick.” http://www.susa-morgan-black.net/index.php 2006.
Carr-Gomm, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. The Druid Plant
Oracle. London: Connections Book Publishing, 2007.
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.
St. Pail, MN: Llewellyn, 1985.
“Druid Plant Lore.” The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. http://
www.druidry.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=i
ndex&topic_id=1&page_id=152 (No date)
Freeman, Mara. “Chalice Center.” http://www.chalicecentre.net/.

Into the Summer Solstice brew
With water from Bride’s well, I drew.
And threw nine parts, three by three
A wondrous woodland spell of Faerie.
I’ve added Morgan’s apple seed
To fulfill our body’s every need.
Of three Druidic herbs, Vervain
With herbal properties arcane.
Three leaves of weeping willow
Who captures the lunar glow.
Three acorns of the mighty Oak
Whose reverence the Druid’s spoke.
For the wisdom of the Elder tree
We’ve added sacred flowers, three.
Three spiked green Holly leaves
To celebrate MidSummer’s Eve.
Nuts of Hazel, by the rule, gathered
From the Salmon of Segais’ pool.
Magic fronds of the Faerie fern
With which their secrets we can learn.
And last I’ve sprinkled mistletoe
The secret only Druid’s know.

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16

Calyxa’s

Simple
Spiral
Labyrinth

On the 9th of July in 2008, I started my first Magickal
journal. I started it by writing a list of things that I
wanted to manifest in my life. The top item on that
list was home ownership. In later entries I wrote that
when I became a property owner, I would create a
sacred space on my land in the form of some kind of
labyrinth. Just short of one year later, my husband
and I bought the house we had been living in for the
previous dozen years.
By October of 2009, I figured out how I would build
my labyrinth. I had seen some decorative concrete
edge pieces which were 16 inches long by 2 inches
wide by 5 inches tall. The way
these
pieces
were designed,
they could fit
together
at
most any angle
between a 90
degree right angle all the way
through a 180
degree straight
line. Some of
you may know
that I have a
fascination with
the
hexagon,
which uses 120
degree angles.
These particular edge pieces
would
allow
me to build my
spiral in a hexagonal shape.
Before I bought my edge pieces, I had laid out some
pieces of kindling wood from a box I’d had for years.
It was a fine magickal coincidence that the kindling
wood pieces were also 16 inches long.
After seeing how the layout fit into the space, I set
to work scraping up the lawn from that corner of the
yard. I also had to dig up and remove the sprinkler
system, since the long term plan is to get rid of as
much lawn as possible. By early November I was finally ready to obtain the concrete edge pieces. It
took me another few weeks to dig in and place the

ISSUE 26

m
By: Calyxa

g

pieces a few inches into the ground. After the concrete pieces were in place and the dirt tamped back
down, I planted a couple different varieties of moss
around the edges of the pathway. My spiral was completed in early December and I consider Yule to be its
official dedication date.
I’d like to say that I planned this, but it was another
one of those amazing coincidences. Each concrete
edge piece is in the form of seven cylinders stuck together. The spiral is made from 52 of these edge pieces. With 52 groups of 7, my spiral can serve as a crude
calendar! I have not yet decided how to permanently
mark it as such,
but for the time
being, I have a
few small markers atop the
cylinders
corresponding to
the 8 sabbats,
at least when
the cats haven’t
knocked them
off! There is
a small stone
which I move
forward by one
cylinder when I
walk my spiral
each morning.
The project has
continued
to
evolve
slowly
since then. In
m i d - Fe b r u a r y
of this year, I
obtained three metal trellises which are set in along
one of the six sides of the spiral. The trellises have
made an amazing difference in the feel of the space.
I have planted sweet pea seeds at the bases of two
of the trellises, and a star jasmine at the base of the
central trellis. Along another two sides of the outer
hexagon I have built up a small berm of dirt on which
I have planted a butterfly bush and some spearmint.
I’ll be planting some rosemary there as well. Once
those plants grow up, the spiral will be isolated from
the rest of the yard.

g

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ISSUE 26

Circles and Cycles in the Course of A Day
Observations by Sapphire Soleil

The clock—that time has cycled around again.
The drain in the shower, whirlpools of water,
My spherical eyes in my head blink with sleep
My hands wring in a circle laden with soap
The lid of the lipstick, the cover of the compact
The tube of the pant leg and necklace and rings
The bracelet and pentagram and the sleeve of the sweater.
The circular motion of lacing a shoe, loop through loop
The knit circle of the hat. Spring’s cycle is slow to come around.
The lid of the Cranberry juice, the mouth of the glass
The curled form of the dog already gone back to sleep on the couch.
The cycle of the air crisp and cold in my lungs
The elliptical cycle of legs and feet walking to work
High above a hawk sketches a lazy circle—hunting
The draft of the air columns unseen, but there
The circle of little flowers, their faces circles too
The snowdrops still circling the cherry tree, whose circular fruit is not yet in cycle
The pattern of my walk, the same circle every day, to work and home and back again
The spiral of a squirrel’s path up the circle of a tree’s trunk
The empty beer can outside the frat house, a never ending circle of consumption
The circle of the door knob at the office
The circle of the computer button and monitor switch
The firm cylinder of the pen in my hand
The cycle of students coming in again to chat
Explaining the system again and again and again to each in turn, over and over repeating
cycles of advising.
The hiss of the Pepsi with a twist of the circular cap and flow of the microwaves in circles
around the soup.
Walk to the Mall and back, walk to town…same pattern.
The creek forming eddies where the logs are stuck.
The green, yellow, red of the traffic lights.
The circle of the coins in my pocket. Money found
Afternoon, the cycle repeats, minus the soup and the Pepsi
My fingers rub my eyes in circles as the work day ends
Make food, eat food, clean up mess. The cycle of dinner replays
Musical notes, little circles on a page to read and sing
Read, reply, send…another email…read, reply, send
The circle of the lamp at the side of the bed
The clock—That time as cycled around again

n

p

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18

Runes
By Pratus

Being that this is the spring and some of us are getting ready to create our herb gardens, I wanted to
share some Runic rituals with you. I believe runes
used in rituals bring you closer to not only divination,
but to the runic magick of old! We are going to do
two rituals which will work together to compliment
each other, bring you closer to nature, and create a
beautiful and magickal herb garden.
In this session we will be using Gebo, Isa, and Jera.

ISSUE 26

nice protective barrier around it, whether it is small
or large, you make the decision.

Jera (yare-ra) is our modern day “J”, ritualistically

it is used to see where rewards can be expected or
work with your relationship with your natural environment. I believe that in the first ritual you can use
this rune to help converse with the nature around
you to design and create
your garden. Getting a
mental idea and picture
of your project, this always helps in all projects. I see it also as asking permission to create
this garden.

Gebo (yee-bo or gae-bo) First you should find your

mundanely used is our
modern day “G”, but put
into a ritual or made into
a talisman can help you
with rites for sacrifice or
generosity, to give a gift
or receive a gift. It is all
about giving and taking,
as wizards and apprentices we should know that
you always have to give to
take; it is all about balance and keeping that balance! This is more of a promise that you are making
to your herb garden. To take care of it, respect it,
and nurture it. It doesn’t hurt to name it either, as
when we name something we take better care of it,
not to mention it brings great energy to the “entity”
named.

area that you want to put
your garden. Sit down
in the area and ground
yourself. Similarly to the
way you ask a tree about
the limb for your wand.
Then paint Jera on a stone, on the ground, or just use
a rune you already have. Create your own ritual and
then fixate yourself on your garden. Ask the nature
around you what would work and be happy in this
area; open yourself up to the nature around you.
Meditate on what you will be planting and the space
you will need for it and visualize the garden all around
you. Visualize where every herb will be and how it
will be comfortable or work out there.

Isa (ee-saw) is mundanely

used as our modern day “I”,
ritualistically it flushes out all
that can constrain you. So I
believe that we can use this to
cast a protection spell around
and in your garden. This will
start with putting a pentagram with Isa in the middle or
in all four corners to create a

Green Magic 301: “Tetrahedron” by Earth Song

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ISSUE 26

Tarot:

The Wheel of Fortune...
Turn, Turn, Turn
by Jymi X/0

The gardener knows the importance of cycles. Everything
happens in its own time, in the
proper season. Empty soil is full
of potential: tended properly, it
produces life. Life grows, matures, sustains other lives, and
produces tiny copies of itself. All
physical things eventually expire, but the seeds ensure the
continuation of the spiritual essence within the physical shell.
Trumps 3 and 13, the fertile
Empress and all-encompassing
Death, are mirror-image twins.
They’re a package deal. To embrace one is to accept the other.
The Wheel of Fortune illustrates
this principle. The Universe is a
perfectly balanced entity: positive and negative, life and death,
pleasure and pain – all opposites
are contained in perfect equilibrium. However, it’s not a static
place, at least, not for us conscious beings who experience
it! The Wheel turns. We move
through areas of light and dark.
Even as we plant seeds, we know
that the beautiful flowers they’ll
produce are destined to wither
and turn to dust...but not before
they give us more seeds to continue the cycle.

We, too, started as seeds. Life is
the development and realization
of one’s potential. The “seed” we
produce is that which contains
our essence -- art, inventions,
books,
music,
relationships,
children – and we hope that it’s
enough to ensure the continuity
of at least some part of who we
were during this life.
The four creatures seen on many
depictions of the Wheel of Fortune are symbolic of the four elements, and should be familiar
to anyone who knows their zodiac -- The Bull (Earth), the Lion
(Fire), the Eagle (Water*), and
Man (Air).
In divination, the Wheel of Fortune reminds us of our everchanging perspectives on the
perfectly balanced energies of
the universe. One day we might
be seeing things from a dark angle, but as we continue through
time, the landscape is bound to
change. The Wheel reminds us
that we must learn from prior
cycles, that we must always be
prepared for misfortune, and
that we can always look forward
to more bright spots. Just don’t
stop moving!

Homemade Ginger Ale
By Prof. Moonwriter

Combine in a 2 qt. stainless steel pot:
5” piece of ginger root, washed and finely chopped.
3 cups fresh cold water
Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer gently for 20
minutes.
After simmering—and while still hot—add raw turbinado
sugar to taste (start with 1/4 cup).
Allow the mixture to cool, then refrigerate.
To serve, strain 1 part of the cool ginger mixture into
a chilled glass; add 1 part of icy-cold sparkling water.
Serve over nice if desired.
Garnish with citrus twists or cubes of frozen fruit juice.
Fruit juices can also be added for different tastes. However you create it, it’s a very refreshing drink.

The Wheel of Fortune,
illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith.
From the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck.
*The Eagle was once associated with
Scorpio, a water sign.

In its unadorned state, this is an excellent beverage for
someone with an upset stomach or diarrhea (for the latter, add a small pinch of salt before serving).
It’s also just plain tasty and refreshing, especially on a
summer day. The variations are endless: for instance,
you can use 1/3 part ginger base, 1/3 part sparkling
water, and 1/3 part of any fruit juice.
The ginger base lasts for several days if refrigerated.
Note: Ginger is a warming spice. According to eastern
traditions, it causes internal secretions to flow, loosening phlegm and other secretion. It is ideal for treating
respiratory congestion and also relieves chills and may
reduce fever. It has a strong anti-nausea effect, helping
to calm the edgy stomach that often goes with illness
and fever. Used topically it increases blood flow to an
area.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

20

ISSUE 26

wortcunning readiness
By Oracle, GSW First Year

Perhaps one of the earliest sciences amongst mankind, Wortcunning was the sphere of Shamans the
world over. The modern Wizard is in debt to these
great, curious, and brave pioneers in the field of
herbology. Without their willingness to experiment
and record their progress, the ancient world would
have been absent of Natures’ earliest medicines and
magick.
Nature is, by nature (no pun intended), wild. As such,
the natural world has produced herbs and plants that
are toxic to protect themselves from infestation and
damage. The wise Wizard would do well to adhere
to the lore of the Herbal Masters that have gone before us. They carefully documented the trait, toxicity,
dangers, and benefits of the herbal world.
A comic scene that replays itself in my head time
and again while thinking of this subject is that of an
ancient Shaman, sitting in their dark lair while cauldrons brew behind them. Before them lies a patient
waiting to be administered their medicine. While
chanting, the Shaman has the patient drink some
substance. The patient then groans and dies. What
does the Shaman say? “Well, guess that didn’t work.”
Out with the third body and back to the herbal drawing board! As comical it might sound the moral of the
lesson is that in this field we are in touch with people
and their lives. Green Wizards (indeed, any Wizard
working with chemicals and substances strange)
would do well to always keep in mind the great risk
they take when harnessing Mother Nature’s power in
magick or medicine.
As with any science and Craft, Wortcunning demands
respect, time and a great emphasis on safety while
working with its subjects. Some basic tools which I
recommend for the budding Green Magician include,
but are not limited to: a quality reference guide, soil
test kits, fertilizers, gardening equipment, a small,
sharp knife ideal for stripping and cutting, special
scissors used for cutting through roots, thorns and
small vines, thick gloves and safety goggles (when
working with poisonous herbs such as Helleborus niger), boots, and a portable bottle or container of cool
drinking water for use while working. I am positive
there may be other safety tools that are necessary
while working with herbs that I have not mentioned.
Ideally, working with a teacher/mentor in this area
is preferred.
I place great emphasis on both learning from an expert in the field, as well as purchasing one’s own
quality reference guide. In the absence of a teacher,

purchasing the right guidebook is essential. Whatever guide is purchased, the Green Wizard should
be sure to know that pictures, an easy-to-find reference, their latin names (this is the accurate method
of identifying herbs), and instructions on planting,
harvesting, and identifying herbs are included. I received one for Yule approximately 4 years ago. The
title is, The Ultimate Herb Book: The Definitive Guide
to Growing and Using Over 200 Herbs, by Antony
Atha. This is a wonderful book that includes detailed
photos of the herbs, along with the history of Wortcunning, an easy-to-use reference guide, facts that
include medicinal and culinary uses, as well as instructions for growing and harvesting herbs in your
very own garden! There are many other wonderful
guides out there; I just have never had the pleasure
of reading them. However, for the budding Green Magician needing to understand the mundane aspects
of herbs, this is wonderful book.
Working with herbs is an exact science: one error
may prove to be fatal if the wrong plant is smelled,
tasted or touched. Whether in a notebook, 3x5 index cards, or on your computer, keeping precise records helps the Green Magician track their progress.
A photo album to press and record leaves, flowers,
and stems of local herbs, along with their information is a fun, practical way to understand your local
environment.
In summary, Wortcunning is the merging of the Wizard with the power of the natural world. As such,
precautions must be taken. Poisonous herbs abound;
many are visually enticing with beautiful flowers.
Knowledge is necessary in this field. Again, there
may be many other tools that Herbal Masters may
know and recommend which I have not listed above.
In the absence of a teacher, finding the correct reference guide to herbology is a great asset. In case
of an emergency (which can happen despite precautions) several phone numbers are important to
have programmed into one’s cell phones or included
in their personal Book of Shadows/Grimoire. I am
thankful for Professor Moonwriter in providing this
information and helpful tidbit. These phone numbers
include your local health provider, the local poison
control center, the Food and Drug Administration,
the American Herbal Products Association and the
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Properly prepared for the great outdoors, the Wizard
can have fun and enjoy the bounty of Mother Nature.
As the Boy Scouts say: Be prepared!

ncwoapghqlzAKIP

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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ISSUE 26

Composting!

By Calyxa

Compost happens, or so they say. The word ‘compost’
can refer to almost any type of decaying organic
material. That decay is a natural process which takes
place on the forest floors all around the globe. A variety
of organic material, both living and dead, accumulates
in layers and eventually decays over time into rich
soil. When talking about composting for the garden,
the process is controlled and accelerated. By carefully
arranging layers of fresh ‘green’ material and dead
‘brown’ material, a garden compost pile breaks down
more rapidly than the dead leaves on a forest floor.
There are two distinctly different composting
processes, hot and cold. Hot composting requires
a minimum of a cubic yard of material, and once
the process is started, no new material is added
until the original cubic yard has entirely been turned
into the final soil-like end product. This process is
called hot composting because the action of the
aerobic bacteria is exothermic, releasing heat as
the bacteria breaks down the organic starting
material. The cycle of starting with compostable
materials and ending with the type of compost
material you’d use in your garden is only about 6
months using the hot compost process. Hot compost
piles can be a fire risk, however hot composting
is usually done only at a large facility or farm.
I am fortunate to live in a city which holds regular
workshops on composting, and I was able to get to
one last summer. While my city does have curbside
recycling and yard waste disposal, our yard wastes

are trucked nearly a hundred miles away to be
composted by the hot compost process. The type
of composting talked about in the workshop for the
home gardener is cold composting. Not only does the
compost pile stay much cooler than the hot compost
process, new organic material can be added over time
and does not require one to start with a full cubic yard
of compostable materials. That’s a much friendlier
method for regular disposal of kitchen scraps and the
like. The main trade-off is that with the cold compost
process, it can be a year to 18 months before the
heap yields material which can be used in the garden.
In the workshop it was explained that there are four
key ingredients to making a successful cold compost
pile. The first is ‘green material’. Green material
is anything which contains a lot of moisture. It
also tends to be nitrogen-rich. Some things which
count as green material includes kitchen wastes
and any green clippings from plants. The second
key ingredient is ‘brown material’. Brown material
tends to be dry and is carbon-rich. Leaves which
turn brown and fall off of a plant naturally are carbon
rich because most of the nitrogen is exhausted as
the plants die. Other sources of brown material
include things like cardboard and non-glossy paper.
Besides green and brown materials, a compost pile
also needs the right amount of water and air. It’s
important to regularly ‘turn’ a compost pile, to take
the material at the top and put it at the bottom,
and continue re-piling the material until finally that
which was at the bottom ends up at the top. This
only needs to be done every 4 to 6 weeks. Any time
new material is added to the bin, however, I check
to make sure the heap isn’t getting too dried out and
often add a sprinkling of water around the top edges.
While much is compostable, some things have
properties which make them inadvisable to add to
a home compost pile. Dog or cat feces can contain
harmful bacteria. Meat scraps can be composted, but
due to drawing scavenging animals, it is recommended
that meat scraps not be used in a home compost pile.
Some plant material doesn’t go into my compost bin
because it’s prickly. Other plant material from the yard
stays out of my compost bin because a cold compost
pile won’t sterilize seeds. Any plants that I don’t want
in my yard don’t go into my compost bin. Beware of
poisonous plants as well. When it comes time for me
to take out the oleander plant in my front yard, the
cuttings will go to the city’s yard waste hot compost
piles, and nowhere near my home compost bin!

Calyxa

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

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ISSUE 26

The Mysteries of Phenology
By Prof. Moonwriter

What is phenology? Sounds familiar, yes? Wait: it’s that
practice where the reader feels bumps on someone’s
head and “reads” them, much like reading palms, right?
Um, no. That’s Phre-nology.
Phenology (feh-NOLL-uh-gee) is the study of
recurring natural phenomena. When you observe the
trees losing their leaves in autumn, a creek’s annual
flooding, seasonal aurora borealis, birds flying south
during the winter, or the first frost of the year,
you’re watching phenology in action. By studying
and contemplating phenology, you connect more
deeply with the Earth’s natural cycles and further
embrace your place in the magickal web of life.
In a slightly different, more complex, “hard-science”
definition, the folks in NASA’s weather and atmospheric
science sections define phenology as “a branch of
science dealing with the relations between climate and
periodic biological phenomena (as a bird migration or
a plant flowering).” In other words, phenology is the
study of how living organisms respond to seasonal and
climatic changes to their local ecosystems. Seasonal
changes include variations in sunlight, precipitation,
temperature, food sources, and other variable factors.
The way people describe phenology is variable as
well. Phenology is a science because it is related
to detailed observations of natural phenomena
and utilizes aspects of the scientific method:
logical study, analysis, etc. It references what we
think of as the traditional life and Earth sciences:
biology, botany, zoology, geology, meteorology, etc.
Phenology is an art because it depends on
observation and then on personal contemplation
and interpretation of what one sees. Ten people
could make phenological observations in the
same space and at the same times and develop
completely different interpretations of what they’d
seen or what they believed was most important.
The way the information is collected, interpreted,
and applied will vary according to the intentions
of the observer and the goals of the process itself.
And, of course, phenology is magick, too, because
we magickal folk know the importance of the eternal
cycle. The cycle is the circle, and the circle seems to
be at the root of everything. Phenology doesn’t care
whether the chicken or egg came first: it simply notes
that both show up regularly and that both are equally
important. One might say that phenology is all about
observation but shows no favoritism. The life cycle of
the mayfly, the seasonal changes of a deciduous forest,
the uber-slow growth of map lichens over centuries,
the migrations of birds over thousands of miles each

year…. Each plays an equal role in the web of life.
Because of its inherent meaning and its magickal
observance of patterns and cycles, phenology
finds its way into many works of art, poetry,
music, and other cultural material. Naturalist—
and
phenologist—John
Muir
expressed
the
cycles of phenology nicely in this poem:

This grand show is eternal.
It is always sunrise somewhere:
The dew is never dried all at once:
A shower is forever falling, vapor is ever rising.
Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and
gloaming,
On sea and continents and islands, each in its turn,
As the round earth rolls.
Humans have always studied phenology. Stone Age
humans lived a life driven by subsistence and moved
their homes seasonally in order to follow sources
of food and favorable weather conditions. In these
times, human survival was based on the ability to
learn from and act upon the clues taken from seasonal
changes. The ability to make careful observations
kept the neoliths on the safe side of a life and death
situation. Many of their observations were recorded
in rock art: paintings, petroglyphs, and pictographs.
Farmers have always used phenology, as have
hunters, gardeners, fishermen, and other people who
are closely connected to nature. A number of modern
holidays and seasonal events honor phenological
changes. For instance, in Japan and China, the time
of blossoming cherry and peach trees is associated
with ancient festivals that can be traced back to at
least the eighth century. In Alaska today, celebrations
honor the arrival of “termination dust,” the first gentle
snow that dusts the mountaintops and signals the
“termination” of summer. Druids past and present
observe Beltaine when the hawthorn blooms. Maple
grove owners in the northeastern United States
follow weather signs and temperature to know
when the sap will run in the sugar maples, telling
them that syrup-making season has come again.
Many people are interested in phenology simply as
a way of studying and enjoying their own nature
observations, and the phenological observations
of “common folk” have yielded important data in
tracking the progress of climate change. Many
towns and cities participate in Christmas bird
counts, an organized approach to phenological
observations of birds and bird life. School children

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

23

and college students also contribute to data
collections, and tens of thousands of neighborhood
observers report from their own back yards.

ISSUE 26

Herbal use:
A Pharmacist’s View

Professional researchers and phenologists have
organized an international network for phenological
data sharing on a worldwide basis. Europe has its
own European Phenological Network, whose stated
aim is, “ Increasing efficiency, added value and use
of phenological monitoring and research in Europe in
the context of global climate change.” PlantWatch is
a Canadian science project of a network of schools
that are involved in phenological data collection. Here
in the US, the National Phenological Network invites
participants, both professional and lay, to help collect
information. You can follow the USNPN’s “tweets”
at
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=phenology

by Sapphire Soleil

Would you like to learn more? Visit the USNPN
page and sign up! I’ve been a member for more
than a year now and provide tracking information
on my dogwood and hawthorn trees, plus several
shrubs and grasses. You might also check out
the GSW’s Level 4 class on phenology. Either
way, you’ll be doing your share to help the Earth.

“It usually starts with some anecdotal story way
back when. Someone saw someone else eat a
berry or boil a root and they felt better. But now,
we take those stories and apply the scientific
method to them to discover what is involved.”
The trick, according to Batina, is to have a sample size
large enough to show if the experiment is actually
working or if other things are affecting the results.

Works Cited
“European Phenological Network.” http://www.
springerlink.com/content/cuj3c5ry87cya49v/
(no
date)
“Glossary – NASA Science.” http://nasascience.nasa.
gov/glossary?search_letter=p 11 Jan. 2010.
“PlantWatch.” http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/
plantwatch/ 20 March 2009.
“US National Phenology
usanpn.org/ (no date)

Network.”

http://www.

It is one of the first things we learn in Herb Safety.
“Just because it is a natural herb does not mean it
is safe.” Pharmacist, herb dabbler, and wizard Lori
Batina agrees wholeheartedly. From her unique
advantage of a Ph.D. in pharmacology as well
as her interest in Eastern religions, herbal work,
magickal practices, and botany, Lori brings years of
training and knowledge to her work with herbs and
opinions on how they should or shouldn’t be used.
According to Batina, all current-day herbal
remedies stem from some piece of folklore.

“Humans are incredibly complex machines,” said
Batina. “It is hard to know if the drug is doing the
work or if there are any number of other complex
combinations of events making the difference.”
One area of herbology that Batina is not too keen
on is homeopathic medicine. She explained that
our ancestors might have found a good use for an
herb to help treat an illness or disease but they
rarely went out and used that herb when they
had no symptoms. They didn’t take supplements.
“We tend to overmedicate, be it pharmaceuticals
or herbal supplements,” said Batina. “We just don’t
need to take something because it helped a symptom
that we don’t even have. It could cause problems.”
Poly-Pharmacology is a term she uses to describe drug
or herbal interaction. By itself, one drug or herb might
not cause any problem, but in combination with other
drugs or herbs, it could cause deadly side-effects.
Another area of concern is the use of herbal
supplements themselves. “They are very loosely
regulated,” said Batina. “Some aren’t regulated at all.”
She also stated that some herbs that were considered
safe if used out of a garden and in a kitchen prove
not to be safe when made for the mass market. “If it
is on the shelf, we think it is safe and that is not true.”
Batina’s final advice it to “do your research!” If
one is using the herb for magickal or spiritual
practices, that is great, but care is still required.
But for medical or physical needs, seek
professional help. Don’t try to figure it out alone.
Source: Lori Batina, Personal interview conducted by
Sapphire Soleil, February 6, 2010

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

24

ISSUE 26

The Practice of



By Prof. Stonetalker, Dean of Faculty
Throughout history, herbs have been burned in the
form of incense and other offerings for magickal
purposes. Recently there has been a lot of focus on
smudging, a Native American way of using sacred
smoke to purify people and their surroundings. As
often happens when an old tradition sees new light,
many misconceptions have arisen around the practice of smudging. Yet there really is nothing mysterious about smudging; or at least there’s no more
mystery than with any other magickal practice.
Although smudging is often associated with the Plains
people of the United States, it is not specific to their
culture. Many different cultures and many different
traditions use sacred smoke in their ceremonies.
When I first went to the Church of England, I was
surprised to see the Rector wafting smoke down the
aisle as he made his way from the back of the church
up to the podium. I had not seen that in the Baptist
churches I’d attended in the US!
Usually when people think of Smudging, they think
of the Native Americans and a smudge stick made
from sage, and this is indeed one form of smudging.
Some people pinch loose herbs and place them onto
a burning charcoal briquette rather than tying them
into a stick. Some herbs, like sweetgrass, lend themselves to being braided.
When we would do a [Cherokee] ceremony at the
Council House or the Long House, there was a fire
burning in a fire bowl inside the building. Herbs were
in a receptacle outside the door, or sometimes offered from a deerskin pouch, and we would take a
pinch of herbs and offer them to the fire. We burned
the herbs as a gift to Spirit, or to purify ourselves
ready for ceremony, or to assist with our prayers and
magickal work. Sometimes the Medicine Elder would
dip his fingers in the ash from the smudge or the
fire, and wipe them on our clothing, so that we carried the reminder of the work we were doing with us
throughout the day.
When I was new to the ceremonies and traditions
that I now follow, I would purchase tobacco and sage
with which to make my smudge. Later, I would use
a hand of tobacco grown on our tribal lands as opposed to purchasing tobacco. Now I rarely use to-

bacco at all, preferring instead to use comfrey. As
I immersed myself in the teachings of my elders, I
learned that tobacco was considered a man’s herb.
The sacred tsula, or tsola (tobacco) grown in the valley was grown by the tribal men, and the women only
saw it when they brought it to the Long House to dry.
Traditionally, Eastern Cherokee women used comfrey
in the same manner that the men used tsula.
Other cultures have other teachings that go with the
herbs selected for smudging. Some of these rules
have been incorporated into local by-laws; others of
them are in danger of being lost because no one is
practicing them any longer. Remember, it is not necessarily what herb is being used or what tradition is
being followed that is going to make your smudge
ceremony effective. It is the intent with which you do
it. White sage, because of its purification properties,
is one of the most popular herbs used in smudging,
but it is most certainly not the only herb used.
One of the other herbs which I grow in my yarden
(yard + garden = yarden) and use frequently in a
smudge mixture is lavender. Lavender not only smells
wonderful but brings a calming energy to magickal
work. Cedar is another herb I use frequently for its
aromatic and cleansing properties and the metaphysical connection it has with the Ancestors. I also
grow and use artemisia for use in healing ceremonies. Known also as mugwort, my mother called artemisia ‘crownwort.’ I later learned that in European
traditions, crownwort is considered to be the herb of
healers.
Nearly any herb may be used in a smudging ceremony. It is a matter of learning the healing and magickal properties of the herbs, then deciding which one is
appropriate to use for a particular purpose.
Although smudging is traditionally done by burning
the herbs, I have also been to a ceremony where one
of the participants was very asthmatic, and irritated
by the smoke. In this instance, the Medicine Person made an infusion of the appropriate herbs and
spritzed the room and the attendants. Again, this is
a perfect example that it is not what we do that is
important, but the intent with which we do it.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

25

ISSUE 26

What’s the Buzz on

Stevia?

by silverlocke

I first encountered the word stevia when practicing
the Atkins (low carb) diet a half-dozen years ago. Dr.
Atkins said that stevia and Splenda could be used as
sweeteners as a packet contained only a fraction of a
gram of carbohydrate and only slightly raised blood
sugar levels, but at that time I found that stevia was
much harder to find and cost much more than Splenda, so I never explored it further. I should have. The
stevia.info website summarizes, “Produced from
a member of the daisy family, stevia is the world’s
only all-natural sweetener with zero calories, zero
carbohydrates and a zero glycemic index.” But why
not just use Splenda? The answer seems to be that
it’s an artificial sugar made of chlorine atoms (Sucralose) and many people prefer more natural substances and ingredients.
Wikipedia says that, “Stevia is a genus of about 240
species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical
regions from western North America to South America.” More important is that stevia is about 300 times
sweeter than sugar and has a zero-to-negligible effect on blood glucose levels--this latter very important for those on low-glycemic diets and especially
so for those having type-1 or type-2 diabetes.
All nice to know, but why is stevia in our cross hairs
for this article? Because you’re going to be hearing
much more about stevia since Coke, Pepsi, and other
major soft-drink companies will be introducing sodas
and juice drinks that incorporate it. It should be noted though, that the product to be used is a highly purified form of stevia known as rebaudioside A in two
versions--Coke is to use Truvia and Pepsi is planning
to use PureVia, both based on the extract, rebiana.
And also be aware that the FDA has not approved
stevia per se, but has issued a “No Objection Letter”
to the extract--not the whole leaf plant itself. Further,
there are invariably ‘conspiracy theorist’ on the web
who say the FDA is catering to Coke and Pepsi by approving these products and their products aren’t as
pure as, for example, SweetLeaf stevia.
It seems that no matter what, any sweetener is
doomed to have controversy trail in its wake. In
my youth it was Saccharin. Later Aspartame (aka
Nutrasweet or Equal) fell under scrutiny. And now
even Splenda, which has helped me control my
blood sugar for some years now, is under attack.
So I have already moved to stevia--a local company
boxes and sells it under the name OnlySweet which
lists ingredients of stevia extract and Maltodextrin
(also an ingredient in Splenda) and I’ve read that

the addition of Maltodextrin means that this variant
is not a zero on the glycemic-index scale. Splenda
originally claimed that it did not raise blood glucose
levels at all, but one web source claims that test was
conducted before the Maltodextrin (corn syrup solids
composed primarily from fructose and glucose in a
starch form) was added.
Many still caution on the use of stevia including Dr.
Gayl Carfield of the prestigious Pritkin Longevity Center: “I am concerned that we in America will begin to
use these new sweeteners liberally without concern
because they were ‘approved.’ But like many other
things we try to extract and concentrate (lycopene,
beta carotene, etc.), they may have a completely
different action when they are taken out of their
original ‘package’.
I take away from my research that we need to lobby with our dollars for the purest form of stevia we
can get, but that even the currently announced stevia extracts seem, on the face, a better choice than
many or most existing sweetening products.
Works Cited
“Are Sweeteners PureVia and Truvia Safe?” 03 Mar 2010. <http://
www.fitsugar.com/Sweeteners-PureVia-Truvia-Safe-2866994>.
“How Sucralose (aka Splenda) Is Made And Why You Want To Avoid
It”. 20 Feb 2008. <http://jstevens.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/
how-sucralose-aka-splenda-is-made-and-why-you-want-toavoid-it/>.
May, James. “Stevia - Sweetener of Choice for Future Generations”. Accessed 26 Mar 2010. <http://www.stevia.com>.
McKay, Betsy. “FDA Clears Use of Herb As Sweetener”. 18 Dec
2008. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122955049250715515.
html>.
“Stevia: Nature’s Perfect Sweetener”. Accessed 26 Mar 2010. <
http://www.steviainfo.com/>.
“The Truth About Truvia”. 26 Jul 2009. <http://www.pritikin.
com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1330:thetruth-about-truvia&catid=396:eat-right&Itemid=514>.

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26

ISSUE 26

Branching Out:

A Look at Three “Non-Cunningham” Herbals
By Prof. Moonwriter

As a Grey School teacher, I see a lot of students using the old standards: Buckland’s “blue book,” Ted
Andrew’s animal and nature texts, and, of course,
anything by Scott Cunningham. I’m here to try and
convince you to take the plunge and look past the
old standards to some wonderful new works. Specifically, I’d like to ask you to set aside Cunningham’s
(in)famous Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (Llewellyn,
1985) and look, instead, at three more modern
works.
Let’s begin with a bit of
discussion about Scott
Cunningham, who many
view as the guru of encyclopedic
magickal
knowledge—especially
of anything having to
do with magickal correspondences. Everyone
knows that Scott Cunningham wrote from a
Wiccan standpoint, but
we understand little
or nothing about how
he formed his particular outlook. He died in
1993, and as best this
author knows, he either
left no detailed notes
about his works or those
notes have not been
published.
There’s no doubt that Cunningham gave service to
the magickal world, writing at least 21 books and a
number of articles and other publications. Yet, just
like any of us, his work was imperfect. Sacrilege,
you say? Let me ask you this: have you ever looked
up something in one of the Cunningham books and
thought to yourself, “Huh? I wonder how he came
up with that?” I know I have—and especially where
it comes to herbs. If you’re among those who can’t
figure out why thyme’s sharpness is categorized as
a “feminine water” correspondence or honeysuckle—
with its climbing vines and fragile, airy blossoms is
called a “ masculine earth,” you know what I mean.
That brings us back to my main point. Yes, Scott
Cunningham created an impressive body of work
over his lifetime. But does that mean we need to
accept his work as gospel, even when it raises questions? Absolutely not. And that’s exactly why I want
to introduce you to a couple of fabulous herbals who

reach beyond Cunningham’s beginnings and take a
fresh look at working with and understanding herbs.
First, let’s look at A.J.
Drew’s A Wiccan Formulary
and
Herbal
(New Page, 2005). This
is, admittedly, my current favorite “general
herbology” reference.
What I like most is
Drew’s common sense
approach. Drew references work done by the
herbalists who’ve come
before—including Cunningham—but he also
encourages the reader
to use her own internal
wisdom to make decisions about understanding and working with
plants. He asks readers
to think twice about the
“just because rules” (my words, not his) suggested
by so many others. For example, most herbals suggest that one must cut magickal herbs with a boline
(boh-leen)—a small sickle-shaped blade. But Drew
acknowledges that most magickal users don’t own a
boline, and he suggests that any sharp, clean blade
will do. Drew believes that the most important action
is to make a clean cut that doesn’t damage the plant,
and he sees this as much more important than owning the “correct” tool.
This kind of common sense view winds through
Drew’s book, and it’s a pleasure to read. Some of the
sections have names like “Magick Made Sensible,”
“Coffee Grinder versus Mortar and Pestle,” and “Fairly Take and Fairly Give.” Over and over he emphasizes following one’s intuition and using good sense.
In one example, he advises against making traditional “offerings” when harvesting part of a plant.
“Pour red wine into a [plant] hole at its roots and
you will change the pH balance of the soil,” he says.
“Bury honey, raisins, or bread, and you will likely attract insects that the plant hasn’t found necessary to
overcome prior to your intervention” (45). In another
excellent section, Drew provides a gorgeous discussion of how “gender” and “temperature” apply to a
plant’s correspondences. It’s beautifully done and,
for me, provided one of those light-bulb moments we
hope for when studying magickal topics.

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Drew’s book is logically organized and easy to use.
He begins with instructions in hands-on herbal practices, then moves into magickal and healing applications. The latter twp-thirds of the book is a working herbal, full of botanical, medicinal, and magickal
information about plants and cross-indexed by botanical and common names. The book closes with a
detailed index.
The second book I’d like to share is Ellen Evert Hopman’s A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year
(Destiny, 1995). You may remember Hopman as a
past teacher here in the GSW. She is a professional
herbalist and a Druid priestess and has written a number of herbal-oriented books. Her Druid’s Herbal is
fascinating because it is written specifically from her
Druidic perspective. Hopman begins with a discussion of Druidism’s Iron Age roots, wanting the reader
to have that background before delving into the related herbal studies. She then moves on to a section
on herbal preparations and other basics. The bulk
of the book is organized according to the eight Sabbats, with an entire chapter for each one. As I write
this Beltaine approaches. Hopman’s Beltaine chapter begins with a description of the Druidic celebrations and then delves
into what she calls “the
herbs of Beltaine”: almond, belladonna, clover, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, marigold,
meadowsweet, orchid
root, rose, rowan, sorrel, and woodruff. Each
is described in detail,
including medicinal, homeopathic, magickal,
and “daily” (around the
home) uses. Hopman’s
attention to homeopathic uses in this book
is something you don’t
find in herbals, and it’s
fascinating.
After
covering
the
Wheel of the Year, Hopman devotes chapters to the relationships between
herbs, alchemy, and the planets, at every turn referencing Druidic herbal practices and traditions. It’s
an interesting change from the usually Wicca-bent
of most herbals. Where Cunningham’s works tend
to the “dry” and Drew’s to the “clapping of hand on
shoulder and the ‘come on, you can do this,’” Hopman likes to tell stories, and it makes for a great
read.
I can’t let you go without mentioning a third book
that I really like: Lesley Tierra’s A Kid’s Herb Book
(Reed, 2000). Billed as “for children of all ages,”
this book is fun, authoritative, and refreshing all at

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ISSUE 26

once. It’s written in
a casual style, and
like Cunningham’s
and Drew’s books,
it’s illustrated with
lots of pen-and-ink
drawings (although
Tierra’s
sketches
are designed to be
colored with art
pencils!). It covers common sense
herbalism but the
nifty thing about
it is that it’s full of
great tidbits. Within
these
pages,
you’ll find recipes
for homemade root
beer, fennel candy, and tiger sauce. You’ll learn to
make mullein candles, fairy bandages, glycerites,
calendula dyes, and composition powders. For extra
fun, you’ll read herbal folklore and learn a song for
each herb. It’s quite a fabulous book!
What’s the moral of this story? I urge you to look
beyond Cunningham. Try out one of the above herbals, or dig into another of your own choosing. Most
important: never stop asking questions. You don’t
have to follow rules set by someone else if those
rules make absolutely no sense to you. Look inward,
study hard, apply what you’ve learned, listen to your
own intuition, and consult your teachers or elders
when you have questions. Branch out!

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ISSUE 26

Review of

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
By Alferian, Apprentice Faculty, Special to WGM
The recent adaptation of the first Percy Jackson book,
although a rollicking roller coaster of CGI effects,
took far too many liberties with the book. So much
so, that it can only be said to be very loosely based
on the novel. Some of the changes radically altered
the whole experience. For example, Percy himself
was much older than in the book. He appeared to
be sixteen or seventeen rather than eleven, which
alters both the character and the drama completely.
Much more capable and heroic, this older Percy does
not face the same sort of bewilderment at his demigodly abilities as Percy in the novel.

ture the flag instead of having Annabeth choose Percy for her team, which alters the relationship from
one of friendship to one of sexually charged competition.
We don’t get to see Poseidon claim Percy in the movie, which was one of the exciting moments in the
book. Instead a lot of emphasis is put on how the
demi-gods are abandoned by their god-parents. Aries is entirely eliminated from the story in the film and
when we finally get to Olympus, we see all the other
gods and goddesses without having been introduced
to them previously. The grandiose Olympian scene
departs from the book’s humor of having Zeus in a
pinstriped suit and Poseidon as a fisherman.
There was some slapstick humor introduced around
the flying shoes of Hermes, but in the book Percy
was forbidden to fly because Zeus was angry with
him. Some of the best episodes in the book were left
out -- the children talking with Charon on the river
Styx, and Annabeth’s “obedience training” with Cerberus. Instead of the lighthearted tone of the book,
Chris Columbus made a heavy adventure drama of
the usual kind.
His dark and stormy and complex visual rendering
is reminiscent of the Harry Potter films he directed,
but went overboard at times. For example in his depiction of Percy’s cabin at Camp Half-Blood which,
rather than being made of stone, was turned into an
open picnic shelter with draperies. Luke gets his own
similar den (exposed to the elements) full of computers instead of the cabin of Hermes, which in the
book was full of other unclaimed demi-gods as well
as Hermes’ children. The depiction of the Underworld
was more reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno than of the
Greek myths, and Persephone, who wasn’t even in
the first book, is turned into a sex-starved temptress
-- hardly how Persephone is described in the actual
Greek myths, nor in the later Percy Jackson books.

All the characters were older and many of the funnier
characters among the kids were cut entirely. One result of this was to make Percy’s situation far less
complicated and far less interesting. The plot shifted
away from character to almost nothing but action.
Worse still, the scriptwriter and director managed to
almost completely eliminate the humor that makes
the book so fun to read. The relationship between
Percy and Annabeth became sexually charged as if
Director Chris Columbus was trying to compete with
Twilight. He places them on opposing teams in cap-

Unlike the fairly faithful film adaptations of the Harry
Potter series, the unfaithful adaptation of The Lightning Thief leaves Percy Jackson’s fans wondering what
would happen in the following films, should there be
any. The only redeeming moments of the film came
with Uma Thurman’s Medusa, which was wonderful,
even if she was far too pretty for a Gorgon.

Photo by Jymi X/0

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

FICTION

The

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ISSUE 26

Apprentice’s Quest

he young apprentice was standing on the
deck, his hands gripping the wooden rail
with all his might. The salty wind pricked
his eyes almost as much as emotion, but
he could not detach his gaze from the frail
figure of Master Jehan, silhouetted against the rising
sun. He stood until the boat was too far away for him
to see anything, and then sat heavily, and was sick,
much to the amusement of the coarse crew who had
allowed him passage to the wild coast of Iceland.

T

Until now, Theovald had led a sheltered life for a boy
his age. Deemed too delicate and too clever to dedicate his time to learning his father’s trade, he had
been sent early to Master Jehan to study the way of
the books. His childhood was a flow of happy memories - he had studied long and hard, but had learnt
well. He could talk for hours about the great deeds
of kings and heroes, could relieve people from their
ailments by using a variety of herbs, and could even
write the secrets of his heart and trade in a leatherbound book which was a luxury, and his only treasure.
And so, gazing at the sky and praying for protection with all his fervour, Theovald spent the next few
weeks shivering on the deck, his knuckles white from
gripping his staff.
The truth was that Theovald was coming of age. Upon
reaching fourteen, all apprentices were supposed to
embark upon a quest of some sort, and come back
their own masters, or not come back at all. He had
been expecting a journey to the wild forests of the
North, or to the mountains in the South. Just when
he thought that Master Jehan was about to bless his
departure, a catastrophe had befallen his father and
upset all his plans...
“Lad. See o’er tha’? End of your trip!”
Theovald started. He had fallen asleep, and a sailor
with a foul breath was shaking him awake. He got
up, and what his eyes saw could only be described by
what his heart understood - here was a land of fire
and ice where gods had fought for dominion, a coast
so torn up and unwelcoming that sailors dreaded it,
with a low grey sky hung above it like a dark threat,
and unexpected black hills lying like great trolls in
the vivid green pastures. Here was the land of his
ancestors, the Vikings.
He did not have time to muse. A sailor pushed his
bundle in his hands, and guided him to a fishing
boat. Giving him oars, he said, “We’re not going any
nearer. On this side, the coast is too dangerous”.

-- Drakonya

“But...this is not what was agreed!” Theovald quavered.
The captain intervened and gave him a toothless
smile. “And pray, laddie, who’s going to make us
stick to our agreement ?”
He knew that he should be grateful that he was still
alive. They could have thrown him into the sea much
earlier, and save some fish and mouldy bread. He had
no choice. Shaking and terrified, he climbed onto the
fishing boat, and watched helpless as the bigger boat
drifted away. The coast was still very far, and he had
forgotten all he had learnt up to now.
He tentatively pushed an oar into the sea, and tried
to stir his boat towards the coast. He had the distinct
impression that his efforts led to nothing. He was a
tiny boy on a huge sea, and was about to be crushed
by a wave. He burst into tears of frustration and terror. And from the deep core of his being, there suddenly arose an unexpected calm - he knew what it
was all about... It was all about testing his ability
to understand the world around him. He turned his
will outwards, away from the mingled emotions that
clouded his mind. The coast was still very far, the
rocks uninviting and lethal, but there was just the
slightest breeze, and waves were going in the right
direction. He fell into the Trance. His body was not
his anymore, it belonged to the elements. He could
understand water, and air, and earth... he could
become them. He was them. As if by magick, his
whole body moved towards the coast, but the boat
remained where it was.
When he awoke from his Trance, he was exhausted,
famished, and sprawled on the rocks. He had done it.
He was safe from the sea. And now, he would have
to find food, a shelter to get a few days’ rest and lose
the weak sea legs he had acquired, and think.
His father was the most reputed tailor of the Duchy.
He was also the proudest, with the loudest mouth.
As the grandson of a boisterous Viking chief who had
marked the memories of all the Normans he had
met, he was preceded by his voice and followed by
the awe he inspired. A red-headed giant of a man,
who had defended his honour whenever it was questioned by crushing his enemies on his barrel of a
chest. Theovald took after his mother, unlike his elder brother. He had been a disappointment - and if
only his Viking father could see him now, after his
weeks of seasickness, he would be even sadder... He
was gathering rocks to build some sort of hut ; wood
he could not find, because as far as his eyes could
see, there were no trees. He did not want to hunt

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

animals, if there were any on this part of the world,
because he refused to steal their spirit. But he was
starving, and he was cold. He was going to die. He
curled up in his cape, and tried to get some sleep.
The face of his father on that terrible day would not
go away. He could not disappoint him again, and
even less cause any sadness to Master Jehan. He
made an attempt at analysing clearly the situation,
but he could not focus. His father had been discussing the possibility of marrying his elder son Harald
to the Duke’s daughter, arguing that they were of
equal rank, for the last ten years. But the young girl
had health problems; her skin was so delicate that
the lightest touch of a coarse fabric tended to cause
rashes and give her fevers. The only clothes she had
ever been able to wear had been made by his father,
with a soft wool that came from his ancestors. The
girl had grown up, and the wool had run out. Just
when Harald was about to pronounce the official engagement, the girl had torn her very last dress, and
wanted the softest, most magnificent bridal gown
that her fiance’s family could provide, or the engagement would be broken. There ensued a terrible
row between the Duke and Theovald’s father. They
yelled a decade of promises at each other’s faces.
It looked as if it would end in blood, both being so
highly strung on honour. But Theovald’s father had
collapsed, and had been paralysed since then. Harald
had had to run the business, leaving only Theovald
to go buy some of the precious wool to the land of
his ancestors.
He opened his book with his trembling hands. There
it was. A precious piece of the soft wool. It felt so
light to the touch. Almost shimmering in its beauty.
No coarseness at all, not even the sensation that he
was holding wool. The sheep here must be touched
by the divine, he thought wonderingly. Shearing
them would take no longer than a few days, a shorter time if he could find a willing wool trader, and then
he would be off, his mission complete, the saviour
of his family’s honour - living up to expectations at
long last.
He ate some roots, and drank some lukewarm tea he
made from the water of a spring and several flowers
that he could recognize, but it was not enough. After
a night spent in the cold wet air, he had no choice
but to stand on his wobbly legs and go, in the hope
of finding a village.
In his exhaustion he almost passed the first hamlet he came across. The houses were barely visible.
They looked as if their roof was at ground level, and
they had grass all over it. He was greeted by a family of seven, and in his halting Icelandic, he tried to
explain what he was doing there. They were very
helpful. They offered him shelter, a great portion
of dried meat, and pushed him almost naked into
a room full of steam where the air was so hot and

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ISSUE 26

humid he could have cried of gratefulness. The cold
left his bones. His host AEfyndyr even told him that
he would show him his sheep on the morrow. All in
all, it had been rather easy, Theovald thought before
falling heavily asleep.
The next day, he waited in thrilled anticipation for
the herd of sheep that his host had gone to fetch
on the other side of a hill. He felt he was halfway
through his rite of passage. But when AEfyndyr arrived, Theovald only saw normal sheep. If anything,
they were skinnier than the Norman ones! Their wool
was so dry to the touch it was almost crumbling like a
dry leaf. They looked stupider too, not at all touched
by the divine. One could comb and wash and work
this wool, nothing would ever come of it. He felt like
crying. He had been convinced that he had mastered
his emotions, back with Master Jehan ; but then, he
had not lived in the real world...
“Boy,” AEfyndyr said when he poked Theovald’s wonderful wool with the tip of his fingers, “none of my
sheep would ever produce such a wool. Go further
north. Over there, sheep thrive.”
And so, with enough food to last for two weeks and
a coarse woollen blanket offered by AEfyndyr, Theovald walked northwards for six days. He had never
seen such a landscape, and for sure, anything could
happen here - there were glaciers and hot springs
fighting for control of the same hill, icy torrents and
fuming hot rivulets that ran towards the same lakes,
steaming lava next to mounds of ice... It did not make
sense, but it was amazingly beautiful. He felt he was
regaining his center, as if he had scattered everything
he was to the winds in the previous weeks, and was
gathering it all again. The energy that flowed from
this land was a maze of invigorating contradictions.
He found fire and ice ; moss so green that it looked
alien ; hills, plains, and a mountain. And on the other
side of that mountain, in the strangest field of lava
rocks, he found a herd of sheep down in a valley.
This time, and in such a scenery, it had to be them.
The ones who produced such a fantastic wool. He
almost ran down the slope, and when he reached the
valley several hours later, he was elated. The sheep
stared at him. He stared at the sheep. They were a
bunch of filthy grey animals with their skeletons visible under the skin, they had the most unreadable
expression of all sheepdom, and they chewed halfheartedly at the flowers and grass at their feet.
Theovald sat down, all his calm gone. Ah, was it so
easy, after such a long training, to lose control over
himself? To feel all his emotions and fears pouring
forth, drowning the tiny little voice of wisdom he had
sometimes heard in his heart? He stayed motionless
for a few hours, eyes seeing nothing.
And little by little, he focused. There was something
happening here. From time to time, a sheep would

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ISSUE 26

jerk violently, and run a few paces with a panicked look.
Then another one would do the same. What was happening ? Were they sick on top of all ? If it was so, maybe he could help them, and justify his presence here
other than by a failure. He looked for some stones and
made a shelter against the wind, and curled up in his
blanket, and observed.
There! A sheep was doing it again. However hard he
looked, he could not see what the matter was. Maybe
there were some sort of fleas, he thought, and checked
his body in a flash of panic. If there were, he was not
a meal for them. He observed the sheep until nightfall,
then he ate. Much later, he fell asleep. He had been patient, observant, opened to any answer coming from his
quiet musing. He had seen nothing out of the ordinary.
He had failed, again.
In the morning, when he opened his eyes, he was blinded by the sun. He stretched painfully. All his joints were
aching from the long walk, and his body was protesting
against the harsh treatment of the last few weeks. He
prepared his bundle, ate some dried fish that was the
basis of any food here, and stood up to go.
And froze, mesmerized. The valley was covered in wool.
It was. It really was! He could not believe his eyes. Everywhere on the ground, there was this soft, delicate,
white shimmering wool he had been looking for. He ran
to the nearest mane, and stopped dead in his tracks.
This was not wool. It could not be, it was attached to
stems. Those were flowers.
He fell to his knees, open-mouthed. His father could not
have made such a mistake. What was this about? He
grabbed a piece of the white thing, and pulled. It felt
like wool, only softer. It even looked like it. He observed
the plant he had taken it from : there was nothing special about it. Just a high green stem with reddish hues,
some leaves, and... this flower, made of wool.
He sat down and gaped. This was beyond his understanding. Some flowers looked bare, as if naked, because they did not have this woolly aspect; others floated
their white stuff in the wind, and Theovald was finding it
hard to name them petals, because they looked nothing like them. But there was no doubt about it: what he
was holding in his hands and in his gaze was the object
of his quest.
The sheep were lying down, apparently more relaxed
than the day before. Theovald decided that this mystery
needed solving, only later, because now he had to gather enough of these woolly petals to make a bridal dress
for the Duke’s daughter. And he spent his day marvelling. He gathered the white substance from all the flowers he could find, and with the utmost care, bundled it
up in his cape, all the while thinking that it would never
be enough. He would need to find a better means of
transportation for a bigger quantity of... this.
At dusk, he sat down contentedly in his shelter, contemplating the result of his work. He had gathered the white

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

33

substance from most of the flowers in a wide circle that
stretched up to thirty or fourty paces. It had been hard
work because it was difficult not to crush the flowers
as he was gathering. He spent a long hour drawing the
mysterious plant, and wondered if it had a name. The
sheep had come nearer and were edgy again.
His sleep that night was the most restful he had ever
had. And that is why when he woke up the next day, he
almost doubled up with astonishment. The wide circle
he had cleared on the day before was back to its initial
aspect. The valley was white, a splendour of healthy energy. The sheep, on the other hand, looked harassed.
It hit him like a hammer. He sat down, and cried out
loud at the same time. Could this be? He approached
the sheep cautiously, in a crouch, and remained very
still. He did not observe the animals. He observed the
plants. One of them was bare. Suddenly, it seemed to
spring toward a sheep, there was an audible snap, and
the sheep started and jerked away... while the plant
swayed gently in the wind... and somehow managed to
radiate contentment. Theovald tied a piece of string to
its stem, and moved to another sheep which was chewing grass next to a bare plant. Spring. Snap... harassed
sheep moving away in a panic... Theovald was marvelling at what he was observing. He spent the whole
morning tying pieces of string to snappy plants, and the
whole afternoon gathering wool for the bridal dress.
On the next day, all the plants that had a piece of string
attached to their stem had sprouted the white shimmering substance. The only explanation that Theovald could
find was that those plants ate some mysterious substance in the wool, and used the digested, softer fabric
as a protection against the elements. This was wool all
right. But digested by this plant, it was of a greater
quality, not to mention utterly amazing.
He had to dance and sing and praise, so he prepared a
ritual to give thanks to nature and to marvel at its incredible ingeniosity. He would have to study this plant
and maybe spend years on this inhospitable land with
its stressed, mangy sheep; he would make his brother’s
happiness and his father’s fortune; but most of all, he
would come back to his master with something of his
own. As of today, he was no longer an apprentice.
Under a waning moon, he spent all night reciting odes,
prayers, and dancing. At dawn, extending his hand towards the carpet of shimmering white plants, he named
them formally. His voice, no longer belonging to a child,
boomed in the valley and was heard by the gods.
“I shall name thee Blanca Lanavorus !”
And huddled together near the shelter, the sheep shivered.

Photo by Jymi X/0

ISSUE 26

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

Waters

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ISSUE 26

Prefect

— Earth Song

The Hungarian Biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi says it best “Water is life’s
mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” For
the Waters Lodge member life is busy! Though we have a great many
members with mundane lives filled to the brim, they always continue giving
of themselves to lend a hand of support to their watery friends.
When the darkness of Winter arrived we challenged ourselves to help one
another with some tips on how to keep active. We shared ways to help
conserve water. We also took time to check out the Water Crystals of Dr.
Masaru Emoto and to share ideas on what they meant when we looked at
them.
As Spring began to creep to the door, we began a few fun activities to help
us enter into the new light after some Winter hibernation. Many of us continued walking even though we met our final 100 miles challenge at the
end of February. Several members reach reached and exceeded that goal.
I am Proud to be the Prefect of The Grotto of the Mystical Waters and since
I have been re-elected I sure hope they are up to some new fun and excit-

Winds

—Swirlsdancing
I Say Good-bye, You say Hello!
It has been a period of many hellos and good-bys as The Spire says a sad
good-bye to Sapphire Soleil, who had become a part of our Windy family!
We thought of many things that might work toward keeping her around, like
holding a protest in the Dean of Students area or pulling a Cyber-filibuster to
secure Sapphire a permanent seat in our lodge; but, alas! Back to her Lodge
she must now go. Flame on, Sapphire! We’ll supply the air toward that end!
Not only have we lost Sapphire; our much loved Belenus is stepping down
from his lofty perch in the Spire to spend more time with his teaching, writing, and his home life. Hail Belenus! The king is gone after three years of
tried and true service! We hope he doesn’t forget to keep posting in the Spire, or he will be sorely missed!
The king is gone--long live the king! Stepping up to the Head of Lodge plate is someone we all know, both
in and outside of the Spire--Godfrey Eagleheart! Stand up and take a bow, Godfrey! Godfrey has been a
GSW mainstay since he started here, back in the Summer of ‘07. He spreads good will where ever he goes!
Our new Prefect, Michael *the Stout Hearted*, starts his service at the Equinox, March, 20, 2010. Mike, too has
been a real presence in the Spire and the Great Hall and the Winds are proud to present him as our Prefect. We
predict that Godfrey and Michael are going to make a whirlwind of a team in the Spire, the best to the both of you!
So, you are probably wondering what the rest of the Winds are doing, right? Well, true to our Element, we
are out and about, blowing free through the Spire and the Halls of the Grey School. Of course! We’re Winds!
Ah, ha-ha! What else would one expect!

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ISSUE 26

Reports
Stones

--Sapphire Soleil
The Stones have been busy this past term winning the Lodge Cup, taking
and completing a huge number of classes, enjoying their monthly Stone of
the Month and other Challenges, working in their recommended reading list
and basically having a great time. Special shout out to departing Prefect
Snoopy Alchemist and a warm welcome to new Prefect Stargazer! We look
forward to an exciting summer!

Flames
--Nydia

Wow, has it been six months already? And we all survived...Muwhahahaha!! It has been fun and I certainly hope everyone has enjoyed the time
as much as I have. We started off with a bang and a lovely party to ring in
the Autumn Equinox and then enjoyed a Halloween celebration followed by
a combination Christmas/New Year’s Party. Each one featured games and
contests with prizes and much fun was had by all who attended. One party
even lasted for 24 hours.
We also started a new twice monthly activity, New Moon and Full Moon
Prayer Nights, where we post prayer requests from all our Lodge Brothers
and Sisters, then on the nights of each New Moon and Full Moon, those of us
who can, gather in our ritual space to pray for those requests. Our energies
combine to strengthen the prayers in the firm belief that together, we can
do anything.
Much class work has been completed and challenges done. It seems a couple of students are in a competition to see who can complete the most classes in a single term. The current total is 15! Amazing! Go
Flames!
But, now my time as Prefect has come to an end and it is time to welcome a new Prefect, Skywatcher. I
have no doubt that he will be a fantastic Leader for our Lodge and I am looking forward to seeing what he
has in store for us. Skywatcher has been a student here for only 15 months, but has already achieved level
5 and earned several awards, so that tells me he is truly capable of doing anything he sets his mind to.
Congratulations Skywatcher! We are all behind you 100%.

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36

ISSUE 26

Introducing The
GOLDEN DRAGON Award!

Introducing The
TWIG and TEACUP

Beltane this year marks the anniversary of the passing of one of Grey School’s Divination teachers,
Karen ‘Golden Dragon’ Gold. Karen wasn’t with the
school for long, but she was so enthusiastic about
teaching here. What she did not know about the Tarot wasn’t worth knowing, and her experience in Ceremonial Magick from running metaphysical groups
where she lived in Ohio made her quite an asset to
the faculty.

You may have noticed two forum announcements this
past month about the TWIG and TEACUP. “What’s
this?” you may have thought. “‘Sounds kind of like a
café in Hogsmeade.”

by Dean Rainbow Stonetalker

But Karen was more than just a faculty member.
Karen was my friend. We worked for the same company, had the same hobbies, and I was so happy to
have the opportunity to introduce the Grey School
to her. Although I did not know Karen long, we often
joked that we must have been twins separated at
birth, for our lives were so parallel and we forged
such a strong friendship.
Karen died of bone cancer not long after her 59th
birthday. It was only a matter of weeks from diagnosis to passing. I managed to make the 450 mile
journey to her bedside to spend time with her before
she passed. It was one of her last wishes that I received her vast collection of Tarot cards and books
so that I could continue to write the classes that she
and I had planned for the Divination Department. It
was out of this that the idea for the Golden Dragon
Award was launched.
The Golden Dragon Award was open for all students,
but of particular interest to Divination students. The
challenge was to write an essay on the role of the
yellow wizard. The prize was one of Golden Dragon’s
divination oracles. The challenged opened on Valentine’s Day, ran through 28 March (which would have
been Karen’s birthday), and the winner will be announced over Beltane; the anniversary of her passing. We have had some good entries -- the Divination Department Dean and I have a difficult task to
choose just one winner!
It is my hope that this challenge may become an
annual event. As I write these, I feel tears warming
my eyes. Although I miss my friend, I feel so very
blessed that we were a part of each other’s lives. I
know my Earthwalk is richer for having known her,
and I often still feel her spirit with me. Karen only
ever wanted to belong, and she did belong; as a
teacher here at the school and as a sister deep within my heart. I can see her in the spirit world now;
dressed in her ceremonial robes, pleased yet a little
embarrassed at all the fuss we’re making over her!

By Prof. Moonwriter

Nope: it’s not a café. The TWIG and TEACUP are two
separate and brand new awards for students in Nature Studies and Wortcunning, respectively. Modeled
on the idea of Harry Potter’s OWL (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and NEWT (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding
Tests), the TWIG and TEACUP give students a chance
to test their knowledge in these two fields of study.
The TWIG is the “Test of Wizardly Inspired Growth,”
while the TEACUP is the “Theoretical Enchanted and
Cumulative Understanding of Potioncraft.” Both tests
are for Level 1, and each has ten questions that summarize basic Level 1 knowledge in that discipline.
Students complete the test and email in their results.
All questions must be answered successfully in order
to pass; retakes are allowed if any components are
missed.
Right now, only Level 1 versions of the TWIG and
TEACUP exist, but eventually I hope to have one for
each of the seven Levels. I am also working on a recognition item to be work on the academic stole.
Information about the TWIG and TEACUP may be
found in the Nature Studies and Wortcunning offices.
These are open to all GSW students, i.e., you don’t
need to Major in these areas in order to tackle these
awards.
At the time of this writing, the following GSW students have qualified for the Level 1 TWIG:
ANNACHENOA
Artemis Gryphon Snowhawk
Earth Song
Nydia
Sapphire Soleil
Skywatcher
The following GSW students have qualified for the
Level 1 TEACUP:
ANNACHENOA
Drakonya
Earth Song
Raistlin Loreseeker
Sapphire Soleil
Starcat

Well done, all!

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37

Earth Day
Challenge
Winners!
Announcing the

By Prof. Moonwriter, Dean of Nature Studies

Congratulations to the

Consortium of Rhea,

winning team of this year’s

Earth Day Challenge!
Led by Team Captain
Drakonya (Flames Lodge),
the Consortium of Rhea
was filled out by members
Aamber Phoenix (Waters),
Lorewolf (Salamanders),
Pinestorm (Winds), Scarlet Flame Lion (Stones),
Silver Raven (Stones,
and Assistant Captain),
Swirlsdancing
(Winds),
and Wolfsinger (Waters).
The Consortium’s answer document was created as an
online e-zine. Not only did the Consortium do a superb
job of responding to the EDC Tasks, but their answers
were detailed, fun and interesting to read, carefully
cited, and often completed by multiple team members. The team also scored high on the extra “bonus
rounds” offered throughout the event.
You may view the Consortium’s e-zine at http://www.
zyyne.com/zf3/2530?light=1
Consortium of Rhea, as a special treat, our Master
Technomage has created a special “Champions” version of your avatar, displaying the EDC trophy on your
team logo. Enjoy showing it off! (Watch for it to be
posted tonight or tomorrow.... Last I heard, Tinker
had hidden the keys to the darkroom....)

ISSUE 26

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

38

ISSUE 26

I want to give a big shout-out to the other teams as well, for everyone participated really well this year—the
final scoring was quite close.
In alphabetical order, please join the applause for….

Coalition Earth, led by Team Captain Sokratifelies (Winds
Lodge). Sok’s team put together a gorgeous answer document
in the shape of a set of Powerpoints. I’ll be working with Tral to
see if we can find a way to post this on the forum, or perhaps
we’ll see if the Coalition can post it on a web page.

The Mean Green A-Team, led by Team Captain Pratus (Waters Lodge). Under Pratus’ guidance, the Mean Greenies took
a unique approach and crafted their answer document as an
interactive story. I’ll also be working to see about making this
available to the student body. Stay tuned!

The Spiral Earth Dwellers, led by Team Captain Ximera
(Stones Lodge). Ximera’s Spiralites housed their answer document on a detailed web page. You can view it at http://www.
reinventing-melissa.com/EDC/ Don’t miss their Task #21!

For those who don’t know much about the EDC, this is the sixth time we’ve held the annual event, making
this the longest-running challenge or activity in the Grey School. Teams are given a set of challenging tasks
and a limited time in which to complete them. Doing so requires teamwork and cooperation—in fact, it’s the
only way to survive the event. You can visit their team forums (scroll down to the “Clubs” area) to get an
idea of what was involved. This year’s Tasks involved everything from “phantom electricity” to locavore diners to eco-burials to green cell phones to ethical environmental wizardry to phenology. An interesting time
(and lots of fun) was had by all!
Winning the EDC is, of course, a feather in that team’s cap—but simply participating makes a winner out of
each and every team member. It’s all about helping Mother Earth, after all. Those who participate are also
eligible to take the EDC class, join the Knights of Gaia, and wear the official EDC patch on their regalia—I
consider these extra perks for a job very well done.
Only eleven months to the next Earth Day Challenge! Start planning now!

WHISPERING GREY MATTERS

39

ISSUE 26

A few random shots from this year’s EDC.
From top left, Amber Phoenix. Ariel Walking
Crow, Lady DragonFaery & Friend, SwirlsDancing, Ximera, Drakonya & Friend, Scarlet Flame Lion, Sea Shelly, Artemis Gryphon
Snowhawk, Enthusiastic GSW Supporter,
Rowan Sylvanus, Earth Song

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