Famous Grimoires

Sacred Meadow Circle Virtual Gathering Discussion Summary:

Thank you to those who were able to attend the Sacred Meadow Circle Virtual Gathering with the suggested "Famous Grimoires".

Bryan led a discussion about well-known grimoires, beginning with a personal demonstration of his own grimoires and book of shadows, which contains spells, astrological information, and other witchcraft resources. He explained his use of Theban character sets for writing spells to maintain privacy, noting that this coding method has historical roots in the craft's tradition of secrecy. Another member in the meeting shared her colourful and artistic grimoire, which she uses for taking notes during classes and recording her magickal practices.

We discussed famous historical grimoires, including the Key of Solomon and the Sworn Book of Honorius, explaining their origins and purposes in ceremonial magick. The group also touched on the Book of Abramelon, with a participant sharing her experience studying it as part of ceremonial magick coursework. Bryan presented a comprehensive overview of historical and modern grimoires, discussing various examples from different cultures including French, Icelandic, and Dutch traditions, as well as modern works like the Golden Dawn Papers and Gardnerian Book of Shadows. We explored how these texts have evolved over time, with older grimoires becoming harder to obtain while some have been revived for modern accessibility. Bryan noted how many modern witches practice traditions without realizing their historical origins, such as the practice of casting circles and working with elements, etc.

The group discussed various grimoires and witchcraft resources, with a member expressing interest in the Book of Oberon and Arbatel, though she found Agrippa's work difficult to understand due to its archaic language. Another member mentioned the Book of Oberon and suggested others read Silver Ravenwolf's "The Solitary Witch" as a beginner resource. Another participant shared a personal grimoire made by her late daughter and discussed how books like "Teen Witch" and "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" had influenced her practice, while Bryan noted how movies like The Craft accurately depicted witchcraft traditions if you can see past the Hollywood glamorizations. Which, shifted the discussion to representations of witchcraft in popular culture and literature. The movie "The Witch" and book "Slewfoot" were recommeded as examples of traditional witchcraft, while Bryan noted how witchcraft is often romanticized in movies and novels. A member shared her learning experiences from reputable sources like Eliphas Levi's books and Scott Cunningham's work, while also recommending newer author Aidan Wachter's books on witchcraft. The discussion concluded with another participant mentioning her current reading of a book by Keldon that reminded her of Wachter's concepts about spiritual worlds.

The group then discussed various books related to esoteric and magickal practices, including grimoires, the Tree of Life, and tarot. A member mentioned a book by Meadow Netter that connects planetary energies to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, while another member recommended a YouTube channel called Esoteric Cross for tarot and Tree of Life content. The conversation also covered the Voynich Manuscript as an example of an undeciphered historical text, and participants shared experiences about books they had given away that later became valuable, including works by Scott Cunningham, Raven Wolf, and Dion Fortune. We discussed preferences for reading materials, with a member expressing a preference for physical books over e-readers due to eye strain from screens, while others prefer reading on iPad with adjustable font sizes and dark backgrounds. Bryan recommended several witchcraft books including "Psychic Witch" by Matt Auryn, which he described as a good resource for psychic development exercises, and mentioned that Auryn has been advocating for authentic book publishing due to issues with AI-generated copies.

Book recommendations are available at: https://www.askagreywitch.com/post/book-recommendations

The discussion also covered different Wiccan traditions, with Bryan explaining the pros and cons of self-initiation versus coven-based initiation, noting that while self-initiation provides more flexibility, it may lack broader perspective without proper guidance. The group continued to discuss initiation practices in various Wiccan traditions, with members sharing their concerns about hierarchical and expensive initiation processes. Bryan explained the concept of breaking down old beliefs before building new ones through initiation rituals, while we also discussed the challenges of finding authentic spiritual teachers online versus in-person. Bryan mentioned his book "Inquiries of the Craft" as an introduction to humanist Wicca and shared plans to write a follow-up book focused on humanist Wiccan rituals, including traditional coven positions and roles. - coming soon! Bryan explained the structure of the Sacred Meadow Circle coven, which has three tiers: an online Astral Circle, an in-person Full Moon Circle, and a New Moon Circle that supports the high priest or high priestess. He described how the coven's governance system helped resolve a previous dispute by involving an independent investigation committee, which protected his integrity as high priest. The group discussed their upcoming topic about different styles of shadow work for next week's meeting.

Please join us for the next Virtual Gathering of the Sacred Meadow Circle! More information is available at: https://www.askagreywitch.com/gatherings