Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

Course One: Wizardry 3

(‘Muggle,’ as she calls it) world, there is another

world—a world full of magick, and magickal people.

This is a world of very different rules and principles,

where Imagination, Hope, Dreams, and Love have

real power to change and transform.” And the thing

is—as everyone who reads these books secretly hopes

and suspects—this is true! This is my world; and if

you wish to make it so, it can be yours.

I used the word mundane just now, to distinguish

the ordinary, everyday, so-called “normal” world from

the World of Magick. We call that world

“Mundania”—and the people who live only in that

world and know no other, we sometimes call

mundanes or mundys. These words are not intended

to be taken as insults, nor should they be used in that

way. It is only a way of acknowledging that there are,

indeed, different worlds.

There is no single name for the World of Magick.

It has been called many names by many peoples.

Mostly, magickal folk just refer to specific places—

such as a particular magickal gathering-place, sanc-

tuary, retreat center, forest, mountain, canyon, stone

circle, and so on. Such places are often said to be “be-

tween the worlds.” Therefore, magickal folks—such

as Wizards, Witches, and Shamans—are also known

as “Walkers Between the Worlds,” for we are at home

in any world, and frequently travel between them in

the pursuit of our Work and Mission.

Our universe is embedded in an infinitely larger

and more complex structure called the multiverse,

which as a good approximation can be regarded

as an ever-multiplying mass of parallel universes.

Every time there is an event at the quantum level—

a radioactive atom decaying, for example, or a

particle of light impinging on your retina—the

universe is supposed to “split” or differentiate

into different universes. —Roger Highfield

(The Science of Harry Potter, pp. 18–19)

Glossary: “Wizards and Witches

and Mages—oh my!”

Now would probably be a good time to explain some

of the different kinds of magickal folks. These terms

can be confusing to the unfamiliar, so here is a brief

little Glossary. (Also, one essential companion to this

Grimoire must be a good dictionary!) An important

thing to understand here is that these categories are

not mutually exclusive, and any given individual may

embody a number of them...indeed, a capable Wiz-

ard may be known by most of these terms! The pri-

mary distinction between “Wizards” and “Sorcerers”

is around the issue of service: Wizards desire above

all else to be of service; Sorcerers desire above all

else to be served. Wizards (like Gandalf) bend all their

efforts and magick towards making the world a better

place—for everyone, and for all future generations.

Sorcerers (like Sauron and Saruman) bend all their

efforts and magick towards the singular goal of rul-

ing the world—conquering, subduing, controlling and

even enslaving everyone else.

Obviously, these desires and goals are diametri-

cally opposed. Fortunately for all of us, the very na-

ture of these distinctions supports the ultimate good,

as Wizards cooperate and work with others, while

Sorcerers are in ultimate competition (especially with

each other), cannot trust anyone, cannot be trusted by

anyone, and in general do not play well with others.

As Gandalf said to Saruman, “There is only one Lord

of the Rings, and he does not share power!”

Wizard: This is from the Anglo-Saxon wysard: “wise

one.” A Wizard is a lore-master, especially of ar-

cane (that is, lost or secret) knowledge (hence popu-

lar usage such as “computer wizard”). A Wizard is

also a magickal practitioner; however, the word is

rarely used today to describe a practitioner of Wicca

(or Witchcraft)—or a member of any particular

faith. Indeed, most (but not all) Wizards tend to be

solitary, though they may belong to a Wizardly

Council or Order. The most famous Wizard of his-

tory was Merlin. Although the vast majority of Wiz-

ards throughout history have been men, there have

been a few women Wizards as well—such as Mary

the Jewess and Hypatia of Alexandria.

Vizier: This title comes from Arabic, meaning, “bearer

of burdens,” and was given to the chief minister

and adviser under the King. The most famous Vi-

zier of ancient Egypt was Imhotep (yes, the

“Mummy”), who was the Vizier of Pharaoh Djoser,

and the world’s first known Wizard. The title often

became synonymous with “Court Wizard,” espe-

cially when a Vizier was also renowned for his

Wizardry—such as Imhotep or Merlin.

Mage: This term is often used as a synonym for “Wiz-

ard,” especially in a complimentary sense. A Mage

may also be called a Magus, which means a master

of the magickal arts. The ancient Magi (like the

“Three Wise Men” in the Bible) were Zoroastrian

Priests originating in Media and Persia (now Iran).

This is the root of the word magic (or magick). The

term eventually came to be used for wise and pow-

erful magicians of any sort.

Sage: A Sage is an elderly person of sound judgment,

who has achieved wisdom through reflection and

experience. The term is used for a savant, an ex-

pert, a scholar, and a learned philosopher or teacher,

such as Lao-Tzu or Socrates. Sagacity means wis-

dom, and wise counsel is called “sage advice.” Al-

though Sages are usually considered to be men,

Saga was a common Latin term for a Sorceress in

the Middle Ages, and some wise women today iden-

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