Category: Cram Session
I wasn't really sure where to put this, since it touches on academics and religion, but I decided to put it under Cram Session, since most of my questions are study-related. I don't expect most people to be able to answer the religious parts, but I'm leaving them in just incase.
As a Hellenic Polytheist, I never really considered magic as a part of my life. But I also have a great respect for it and know that some forms are real. Still, I was always afraid to learn it because of it's power and because I don't want to do anything that might offend The Gods. That, and most of the magic about which I've heard involves Wicca and/or other religions and I am personally not an eclectic. That is, I worship strictly within the Hellenic pantheon. While I don't hold anything against Wiccans, I think that it would be presumptuous and rude for me to believe that I can demand anything from The Gods or "use" them as so many others believe. But I do think that favours can be respectfully asked of them if sacrifices (poems, hymns, food etc.) and libations are offered.
But a little while ago, I found something which really stirred my interest. Apparently, there is a real school of wizardry called The Grey School and they take themselves very seriously. They offer a seven year (though it can be completed sooner) program of apprenticeship with the eventual outcome of becoming a journeyman wizard. While I'm a bit skeptical about some of the beliefs of it's headmaster as well as a few of the courses, others seem to be very academic and/or enlightening and I'm strongly considering becoming a student. They mostly shy away from the religious aspect and teach things that seem to be agreeable with all faiths that don't forbid magic or occult studies. I've always been interested in divination (especially cartomancy/tarot and arithmancy/numerology), parapsychology, dream interpretation, history, literature, the so-called pseudosciences and so on and many courses there explore such things. There are courses dealing with actual magic, of course, but many seem to have their basis in tradition or at least in things that make sense rather than fantacy, pure mysticism and/or The Goddess theory.
So has anyone taken courses from this school? If so, what is it like and how did they deal with your visual impairment? I intend on asking the headmaster and/or the teachers about modifications etc. before enrolling, if I decide to do so, but perhaps some of you could give me ideas. I'm a bit worried about some of the courses, particularly in divination, as they seem to require sight. Does anyone know if "Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard" or "Companion for the Apprentice Wizard" are available as etexts? The first book is the foundation for the school and it, along with the second book, is used in a large number of courses, but it has all sorts of pictures, drawings, tables, charts and diagrams that I'm sure won't scan properly. Btw, the site for the school is
http://registered.greyschool.com/index.php
The idea of joining still makes me a bit nervous, though I can't exactly say why. I just never considered myself magical. But I can't find a school that really teaches the sciences and arts that I love. There's always Flamel College
http://www.flamelcollege.org/
but they can be quite expensive once the costs of their classes accumulate and they seem to deal more with the mystical side of things, which really isn't my cup of tea. So what does everyone think? Should I perhaps investigate and maybe join The Grey School or look for something else? Maybe, I'm just afraid to take the plunge and explore my powers/abilities.
A friend of mine pointed out something that I must address here, lest I get mixed up in it. I'm very much against the activities of Oberon Zell, headmaster of The Grey School, as regards his animal experiments etc. I don't know much about his church of All Worlds but was warned against that as well. The problem is that I can't find another school which offers such courses in a nonreligious way, and certainly none with such a variety. But if you know of another one, by all means, please tell me. I'd rather my money go to people whom I can safely trust.
Now about my ideas on mysticism. It's not that I believe that self discovery isn't important. I'm sure that I'll learn alot along the way and I'm looking forward to it. It's just that I wish to study the occult as a scientist and practitioner. That is, not simply in the historical and scholarly sense but not as magic or mystery either. By that I mean tied to a given religion or containing initiations, rituals, secrets and the like. Certainly, there are some sciences, such as alchemy, that are impossible to study without their mystical elements, but I want to go as a student not as a shaman or something. I've been looking for this kind of school since my senior year of high school. I did locate a few other schools, but again, they involve the above. Even The Grey School has have rituals and works with altars as well. I haven't even made my altar to The Gods, so I'm not sure if it would be wise to have one for this purpose without having the other as well.
The same friend who warned me about Oberon Zell, suggested self-study as opposed to going to a school. It probably could work but I'd like to at least have a guide to the subjects. The amount of books and even online texts is ridiculously huge and it's easy to get overwhelmed in them. Besides, I'm the type who does much better in a structured academic setting rather than striking out on my own. If I have real (not self-imposed) deadlines to meet, I do it. But if left to my own devices, I often become lazy and my interests tend to drift. I also like having my work overseen to insure that I'm doing it right and enjoy essays/tests, not for their own sakes, but because they help me to realise how far I've come and what I really learned.