Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard IX
You cannot hope to defeat him by force of arms, for
the deadliest weapons ever conceived are his own.
And he also controls the wealth of empires, with power
to buy and sell the very Earth you stand upon. He is
the father of lies and deceit, and can turn even your
own parents against you. You must learn his weak-
nesses, and make them your own strengths: love, com-
passion, magick, purity of heart and nobility of soul.
Your life has prepared you for this Quest.
“For yours is a magickal journey. You will gather
Companions, courageous, heartfull and true, and they
will come through for you when all seems lost. You
will be betrayed by ones you have trusted. You will
learn painful and valuable lessons, teaching you what
you will need to know for each leg of your journey.”Through the night the old man shares stories and
songs with you and your companions. One by one,
the others drift off to sleep, but you stay awake listen-
ing in wonder to the tales of magick and mystery. It
seems as if your world has suddenly grown far bigger
than you ever imagined.
In the morning, all are breaking camp and pack-
ing to leave this place. Plans are being made, and maps
are being consulted. No wisp of smoke betrays the
fire of the night before. Other than the ring of stones,
left for succeeding travelers, there is no sign of your
presence. You are still talking alone with the old man,
who tells you:
“Here’s the great secret of the Hero’s Quest story:
As the Hero journeys along his path—the Glory Road,
as it’s called—all those he encounters and interacts
with have each their own scripts. They all know who
they are, and what role is theirs to play. Only the Hero
has no script, and must make it up as he goes along.
For he is the only one in motion in the story—as he
goes from station to station picking up clues. Each
encounter is both a test and a preparation for the next.
And only in this way can his training be accomplished
and his destiny be fulfilled.
“However, there are other paths....”
As you stand in reflection by the dead campfire,
the old man goes over to bid farewell to the rest of the
Company: “I have no more to tell you; nor can I ac-
company you further. My own path leads elsewhere. I
can only advise you to follow the Path of the Heart....”
And the Companions head off down their path,
and into legend. Watching them pass, the old man then
turns and begins walking away down a different path.
You feel as if a Presence stands behind you, holding
aloft a torch in each hand, illuminating each of the
ways unwinding from this place of decision.
You look as far as your Vision can reach down
the paths that lie before you. You feel the Winds of
Destiny blowing through your soul. And then you turn
and follow the Wizard.
The Script is being written....The Calling
by Jesse Wolf Hardin, of the Grey CouncilYou are called.... Make no mistake about it!
Called by Earth and Spirit to live a more intense,
magickal life. Called to pay any price—and reap ev-
ery reward—in the pursuit of Truth and Adventure.
Called to heighten your six senses and develop every
possible skill, all in service to a deep and destined
purpose.
It’s an irresistible siren’s call, echoing out of the
caves of our ancient tribal past as well as those un-
seen folds of the future. It pulls at the heart, makes
the skin tingle, and stirs the feet to dance. It beckons
you to leap over the walls of convention and habit, to
escape to the world of your dreams and fulfill your
most heroic mission. At times it’s but a quiet prod-
ding like a silk-winged fairy gently whispering in your
ear. Other times the call is a roar so loud that you’re
surprised everyone in the world can’t hear.
It’s possible you’ve felt a little different from
those around you ever since you were a child. You
likely experienced things more intensely than other
kids, crying longer, laughing louder—loving, play-
ing, and trying harder. Being “normal” never seemed
like much of goal to you. Unlike those friends and
classmates who chose to numb-down in order to fit
in, you preferred your own special loneliness to the
dulled world of the mundane. You never stopped be-
lieving in miracles and magick, even as you became
expert at exposing illusions and lies. No matter where
you herald from, your “home” is the state of Wonder.
The fact that you are reading this Grimoire now
tells not only about your curiosity, but your heart. It
is a testament to your vision and determination, and
makes you part of an unbroken lineage of the en-
chanted and engaged, the caring and called. You are a
direct descendant of the first two-leggeds to ever con-
secrate and celebrate this inspirited Earth, and a di-
rect outgrowth of three and a half billion years of ec-
static evolution. And you will, in your own time, be
one of the teachers and Elders to pass on the baton—
the magic wand—to the coming generations of ap-
prenticing Wizards and wise ones. Yes, the enlivened
universe is calling you...demanding, in return, your
focus and attentions, ritual and follow-through.
To be called is to be destined—destined to fulfill
an essential and meaningful purpose, destined to em-
ploy your power and practices in service to a crucial
cause. But unlike “Fate,” Destiny requires our con-
scious and willful participation. Every day is yet an-
other chance to fudge and slack, to deny our sacred
calling or avoid the responsibilities of our mission.
And likewise, every moment is a decisive moment—
another opportunity to make magic happen, to spread
love and do good deeds...to fulfill our Destiny and
fully live up to our heroic Wizard’s creed.Intro pages PM.p65 9 1/14/2004, 3:19 PM