@grimoirechallenge / grimoirechallenge.tumblr.com
I just wanted to say thanks for keeping this open. I didn't get very far in the challenge last year because I have a hard time managing stuff like this and school at the same time, but I want to try again this year anyway and I'm glad it's still up.
Do it, do it, do it!
Hello, all!
Well – we didn’t make it through the full year, but I gave you seven months of challenges and I think that’s pretty awesome. I hope you’ve taken the initiative and continued to make your grimoires grow.
And, hey, if you’re just joining us, go ahead and start at the beginning. You won’t get behind, I promise.
Here are some things that I wanted to go over before the year closes out:
will there be a 2017 grimoire challenge?
Nope.
Hello, all!
Well -- we didn’t make it through the full year, but I gave you seven months of challenges and I think that’s pretty awesome. I hope you’ve taken the initiative and continued to make your grimoires grow.
And, hey, if you’re just joining us, go ahead and start at the beginning. You won’t get behind, I promise.
Here are some things that I wanted to go over before the year closes out:
Recently read the post concerning lack of new challenges and completely understand. Newcomer here! Would it still be alright for me to go back to the beginning and work my way up?
Of course. Do it.
Really seems like the Grimoire Challenge has kinda tapered off. It was a good idea in the beginning, but now it seems like we all failed the challenge.
Like, if people are willing to start posting their progress again like they did in the beginning I’d totally be willing to start it back up. But the amount of work I was putting into the challenge wasn’t worth the return I was getting from others. It seemed like everyone forgot that the Grimoire Challenge was started in order to be a social community -- (the general) you were supposed to post your results of the challenges so that everyone could learn from everyone else.
Like, I’ll probably pop back up in December so we can all organize our stuff, but at the moment the risk isn’t worth the reward, so to speak. I’m not going to stress myself out over getting challenges up if I’m not being met halfway.
The top picture is my notebook of research, ritual drafts, spell ideas, etc. For the 2016 Grimoire Challenge I’m using Microsoft OneNote because it’s easier to track the project and create posts from it.
The bottom two pictures are of my actual grimoire. I bought it at a Renaissance Faire a number of years ago. When I’ve filled the current book, I hope I can find a new one that will fit in the tooled leather cover. I record final rituals, spells worked, recipes, correspondences, etc. The contents aren’t as fancy as some, but I can find what I need. Eventually I’ll add pieces from the 2016 Grimoire Challenge.
Other pieces from the challenge will go into the notebook for future tinkering. I’m perfectly capable of, and comfortable with, using technology, but sometimes it takes pen and paper to really get the creative juices flowing.
(Going back and picking up some of the weeks I missed.)
Scrying Activity: List out the different methods you can use for scrying and mark the ones you are interested in trying. If you need to gather any materials, do so now.
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines scry as “To see or predict the future with a crystal ball.” I’ve always thought it was not just looking at the future but also seeing what was going on now someplace distant. That is the way it is often used in fiction, especially fantasy and fairy tales. It’s what Professor Marvel pretends to do when Dorothy meets up with him after she’s run away from home in The Wizard of Oz.
Scrying involves entering a trance state and observing symbols, although some practitioners claim they see actual people and events.
Methods for Scrying:
What I have on hand:
Want to have your challenges featured in this challenge? Check out this post!
If you are just joining us - and I know there are some of you out there! - you should definitely check out the FAQ. If you have a question, head there first. Chance are I’ve already answered it.
You’re encouraged to just jump in wherever we’re currently at, so if you’re just now starting the challenge, start with this week’s challenges! You’ll totally have more time to go back and do what we’ve already completed.
If you’ve been posting pictures of your grimoire outside the confines of a challenge week, I’ve been trying to reblog these and tag them organization so that when December rolls around we have a compendium of inspiration from which to draw. Resources is just what it’s named - if you have any to share, feel free to @-mention me in a post so I can find and reblog it.
This week’s challenge is inspired by feverfew-brew!
I hope you're feeling ok. No challenges this week? If you're sick or just too busy, please feel better soon and good luck with whatever task you are busy with!!
I’m moving this week and it’s literally the worst thing ever right now. Hopefully we’ll be back to our regular scheduled program next week.
In case anyone wants to help out, read this post and send in a challenge!
This is a beautifully informative blog. Love it!
Thank you!
Monday Activities
Journal Activity: Symbols
Sigil Activity:
I’ve not used symbols to create sigils in my work, but some of the sigils I’ve created have become symbols. The icon on my blog is of a sigil I developed in my work. It might be interesting to try creating sigils from symbols.
Kinda happy with my grimoire 💚
Divination [Journal?] Activity: Can your symbols be used in divination? Any symbol can be used in divination. The triangle symbols for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water are on the Minor Arcana cards in my Sun and Moon Tarot deck. Of course, the symbols on yesterday’s list could be used for divination. This leads directly into the second activity for the day. I created a quick and dirty set of oracle cards using index cards and a Sharpie (pictured below). It will take some experimentation to know how these would work. If I find they are useful in my work, I might consider making runes/tiles using polymer clay.
Want to have your challenges featured in this challenge? Check out this post!
If you are just joining us - and I know there are some of you out there! - you should definitely check out the FAQ. If you have a question, head there first. Chance are I’ve already answered it.
You’re encouraged to just jump in wherever we’re currently at, so if you’re just now starting the challenge, start with this week’s challenges! You’ll totally have more time to go back and do what we’ve already completed.
If you’ve been posting pictures of your grimoire outside the confines of a challenge week, I’ve been trying to reblog these and tag them organization so that when December rolls around we have a compendium of inspiration from which to draw. Resources is just what it’s named - if you have any to share, feel free to @-mention me in a post so I can find and reblog it.
This week’s set of challenges is inspired by @althara! Let’s get to it.
I use a wood burning tool, music on the iPod, pictures instead of statues. I think the computer/ internet is the most technology I use. Without it I could research as easy, meet people in the craft, find book. It’s the most witch tool I have really when you think about it. My Nook is full of witch books. I think whatever makes a witch comfy and gives them confidence to have more power can and will work.
I decided to try an online random word generator for the tech divination. My words were: continuous, equivalent, pagan, fashionable, cardinal, program
I think pagan showing up and cardinal was pretty cool. I liked this one.
Amor Veni Cito
[2016 Grimoire Challenge - pop culture magic week inspiration. Although I did this before this challenge week, I feel it relates to the theme. I think the “Practical Magic” grimoire is an inspiration for a lot of people’s books. It certainly was/is for me. This page is not from my actual book, but is from my art journal book]
Art journal pages inspired by the grimoire from the movie “Practical Magic.” Page made with tissue paper background, decorative papers and vellum, stamping, embroidered trim, pressed rose petals and leaves. The charms, “Amor veni cito” and “Amor te teneo,” are love charms from Valerie Worth’s “The Crone’s Book of Wisdom,” which was republished as “Crone’s Book of Magical Words.”
The tag is an “artsy” version of a portable spell card. I make them because I have a bad memory. Although I can memorize stuff, I get nervous about it. I don’t think it’s necessary, at all, to memorize everything, but the idea is that if I can’t have my book with me I can make a little note card to have with me, it relieves my worry about forgetting something and I am less likely to actually forget it. Plus I like making them.
