Class IV: Your Sanctum Sanctorum
come from all over to consult them. Here are some of
the main categories in my Library:- Magick—lore and practice, different traditions,
systems of divination, Grimoires, Books of Shad-
ows, etc. - Science & Nature—all the sciences, including
astronomy, geology, biology, ecology, chemistry,
physics, etc. - Weird Science—UFOs, unexplained phenomena,
anomalies, cryptozoology, Bigfoot, Loch Ness
Monster, etc. - History—archaeology, timelines, histories of ev-
ery culture and civilization from the dawn of hu-
manity. - Myths & Legends—stories from every culture and
people; gods & goddesses, epic adventures, cre-
ation myths, etc. - Fiction—in my library, this is pretty much entirely
science fiction and fantasy. - Art books—all my favorite artists, plus books of
photos, cartoons, graphic novels, comics, etc. - References—various sets of encyclopedias, dic-
tionaries, almanacs, etc., both general and specific.
I have LOTS of these! - Videos, DVD’s, tapes & CD’s—all my favorite
movies and music, recordings of TV shows and
specials, etc.
At the back of this Grimoire, I’ll list a few books to
get you started on your own magickal library. As for
the rest—you’re on your own! Always check the used
book sections of bookstores, junk shops, and flea
markets, as many of the best books for your magickal
library will be really old anyway. Another good source
for old books is your public library, which periodically
clears old books from their shelves to make way for
new ones. Sometimes they’ll put out a bin which people
can go through and help themselves. You should get
a library card in any case, and ask your librarian when
they’re doing their next giveaway.Lesson 3. Your Temple
Your temple is the space where you will do nearly all
of your magickal workings and rituals. This needn’t
be a large space, nor does it have to remain set up all
the time. Your bedroom will do fine. The only perma-
nent item in your temple is your altar, which you will
hopefully have already set up clear back in 1.II: “Be-
coming a Wizard.” This can be your own “Special
Altar” to celebrate your life and the magic around
you, and you can put on it anything you find particu-
larly magickal.- Introduction: Your Magick Room
WIZARD’S PRIVATE STUDY IS
CALLED his sanctum sanctorum,
which means “a place of utmost
privacy and inviolability.” If you
are fortunate enough to have a
room of your own in your house,
you’ve probably already begun
filling it with magickal things. If
you continue to pursue these studies, you’ll wind up
with far more stuff than you can possibly display at
any one time, so it’s important at this early stage to
develop some system. Perhaps there are also other
rooms around your home that you can claim for cer-
tain purposes—like an attic, basement, garage, shed,
or barn. But even if you live in a tiny apartment and
share a bedroom with a kid brother, you can still imag-
ine and plan for a future sanctum sanctorum.
Before you begin turning your room (or any other
room in your home) into a wizardly sanctum sanctorum,
you will need to get your parents’ permission as to the
space you use—and also get their ground rules about
what can or cannot be done in that space. For in-
stance, open flame (as in candles) or burning incense
may be a no-no. And remember, no matter how “pri-
vate” you may wish your sanctum to be, your mom
will come in!Lesson 2. Your Library of Arcana
The word library comes from the Latin liber, meaning
“book.” It has often been said that in a Wizard’s home,
every wall is covered with bookshelves. If there is one
thing that Wizards are famed for, it is our love of knowl-
edge. Hence every Wizard is at heart a librarian and a
museum curator—and every Wizard’s library is unique.
As you acquire your own books, you should begin
thinking of categories
for them, and put
them on different
shelves, or separate
them with other ob-
jects. My library be-
gan as a child when
my parents acquired
for me the World Craft
Encyclopedia and
Child Craft Library.
Since then, my collec-
tion has grown to
many thousands of
books, and peopleCorrected pages 3rd printing.1.p65 40 6/10/2004, 2:59 PM