Customer Reviews

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, in my opinion, is a landmark book. Zell-Ravenheart has taken the popular fiction and fantasy of today to produce a primer for a good life that will appeal to today's video game youth.

In my youth I was introduced to the principals and ideals taught in this book by Glenda the Good, TikTok, the Tin Woodman and all of L. Frank Baum's characters in the Oz books. Today, it's not so easy to get young people to listen. Using popular images from movies such as Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings the Grimoire presents an astounding amount of educational information in an entertaining way.

It's a combination history book, motivational book, self help book and magickal primer all wrapped up in one.

As mentioned in earlier reviews, I did run into some printing errors. Some of the rune graphics were out of place. They were included as a separate insert sheet that I taped in the back cover. I can only assume that they will be fixed in later printings.

The book is not about Wicca or other pagan paths. One of the other reviews listed this as a problem. I don't believe it is intended to be a lesson in religion. By keeping the religious aspect out of the book, and presenting it in a "Harry Potterish" way it will ease the way for some parents to allow their children to read the book. Remember, some parents believe that any religion except christianity is an evil cult. Many of the "lessons" or "assignments, " some presented as games, will help a young person throughout their life. There are exercises to improve pattern recognition and memory just to mention a few.

This is not a fictional Merlin story. The type of wizard described in this book is achievable. The concepts taught are the same concepts that successful people all over the world have used to become the captains of industry, company presidents and good parents. That's why I purchased copies for both of my grandchildren. (That way they will keep their hands off my copy!)

I cant put it better than Griffin from Lafayette, CA United States did:
I highly recommend this book to both new and old readers alike. It is refreshing to see an author who not only claims the intention to provide an open philosophy that still honors its history and practice, but who succeeds in doing so.

Although I was- and still am- thrilled to see someone taking up a standardized system of training for magical practice, I was more than a little disappointed after reading through this Grimoire and its accompanying Companion.

Oberon does a wonderful job of providing a framework for approaching the different types of magic available for study, but he spends far too much effort trying to portray himself as "a modern Dumbledore," rather than using reliable scholarship and sources to present a reputable school of modern magic. For one thing, there were far too many references to Harry Potter in the beginning of the book- I understand the use of thoughtforms and templates, but I think the form of the school itself was quite enough to invoke that association. More troublesome, the author acts as an authority on just about every subject despite the fact that he is clearly not quite so well informed as he believes himself to be. I make no claims to all-inclusive knowledge, but there are two fields I do know about- Egyptology and the basic care of many types of animals. The information presented on ancient Egypt is questionable at best, and his hieroglyphic alphabet is downright wrong. As a volunteer in wildlife care organizations and a veterinary technician by profession, many of his suggestions for animal care and treatment frankly horrify me. Since he claims to have worked for wildlife organizations in his own past, I simply can not understand how he could in good conscience encourage his students to take young, wild animals out of their habitat and raise them in the home for "release" into the wild at a later date. He should understand the danger of human imprinting, and the fact that animals who are taken out of the wild and who associate with humans early in life are rarely able to survive there after reintroduction. The number of activities suggested in his "Beast Mastery" section which are dangerous to the student, the animal, or both are too numerous to go into in detail here, unfortunately, so I'll move on.

The lack of accuracy displayed in these two sections alone calls the entire rest of the book into serious question for me. I find this extremely depressing; I really wanted to see something like this emerge for our community. At first, I resolved to note each inaccuracy as I found it in the book and send a list of errata to the school, but was soon overwhelmed by the number of corrections needed. These errors range from simple spelling and grammatical errors to archaeological inaccuracies in describing (at least one) ancient culture(s).

The book claims to be a non-religious approach to magic. Yet, students are encouraged to set up alters to the God and Goddess, and the popular neo-Wiccan/Pagan conception of the gods and goddesses as facets of one God and one Goddess- along with the stereotyping of the divine feminine as water/earth, lunar, and receptive; the divine masculine as fire/air, solar, and projective- is subtly promoted in the book. I can only conclude that the authors are so unaware of their religious platforms that they do not recognize them even when consciously attempting to avoid them. That does not bode well, for a wizard should know him or herself better than that.

I recommend the book as an inspiration for those who are designing their own standardized systems of training- and I sincerely hope that the Grey School will review and reinforce their text with articles and commentary from more informed, specialized Pagan and occult scholars. I really, truly hope they do.

I don't like this book, it doesn't have instructions on how to send it back to myself when I was of the age of the intended demographic. JUST KIDDING! Maybe it DOES have such instructions but I have yet to grok the arcane implications of Oberon's astrolabe (and yes, I DO like it). If I read this when I was in my teenage years I probably COULD warp this tome through the veils of Chronos by now. It would have saved me YEARS of hobbling together various bits and pieces of cosmic fabric, finding what works and sifting away the chaff.

Speaking of the intended demographic readership this book would be likely to serve, I would estimate them to be of the ages between 13 and 21 and about 70% male: the Harry Potter contingent to be sure. Frankly, I've been exposed to no Harry Potter book or movie in the entirety. I've read of Rowling only long enough to recognize that she's been exposed to Francois Rabelais, therefore she gets my seal of approval on that account alone. Other than that observation my Potterology is null and therefore I base no opinion on any reference or analogy between the Potter Mythos and the "Grimoire".

The contents of the book are presented in the form of a course of study involving seven parts. Essays, charts, grammaries, and appendices and an index are included, as well as a "Commencement" and a multitude of illustrations, both classic and newly created for the volume. Are there spells? Yes, Virginia, there are spells galore.

The lore is presented in a friendly and earnest manner and is clear and concise enough to fit a wealth of information into every page that form a solid, foundational overview of Pagan (Neopagan) information, mystical knowledge and arcane gnosis along with a reliquae of historical fact and visionary fantasy. Among all of this, a good grounding of Common sense is not ignored ("NEVER leave a candle burning. . ."); nor is a good dose of humor.

A healthy respect for language and learning is shown throughout the text. One might expect the young student to have his/her interest in various subjects piqued by the "Lessons" herein to assume a greater interest in and aptitude for a variety of subjects when viewed through the Grimoire's magical lens. Such a student might even venture into a career-path from such motivation (e.g., Course 1, Class VI might inspire some to further study psychology; Course 3, Class I might inspire an interest in law, ethics; and 7,V could lead one into the annals of history and literature).

I would imagine that some further editorial tweaking could improve subsequent editions. The most blaring example of errata did not hit me until well over 300 pages into the volume: p. 333, "Freddy Mercury of Queen was a Zoroastrian. According to legend he was trained by a sorcerer. . . " OOOPS! Make that "Zoroaster, according to legend. . ."! Also the dates quoted herein regarding the time of "Zardost"/"Zarathrustra" ("628-551 BCE") should probably be revised to an earlier best estimate such as c.1300 BCE. The heart & soul of the Grimoire should sufficiently counter such tweakables until further editions become available. (This book should SELL quite well.)

With apologies to Ian Corrigan I must counter his "criticism. . . that the book almost entirely avoids the matter of religion"; my regard for the book is only strengthened due to this fact. As Oberon states in the introduction, "A Wizard is not a Priest or representitive of any church or religion, but an `adept'... a
Wizard can be whatever religion he chooses (or none at all!)."

--- Ken Zosodada

Yes, you read the title right. I'm a student in the online Grey School of Wizardry. This book is used as a handbook for all classes. It's amazing how this school and contents of this book as brought to my life. The only word to explain my experience is... "Wow!"

This book nearly fell of the shelf when I saw it the first time. I ignored it at first but it happened a second time as I wandered down the New Age aisle. I knew there is no such thing as coincidences, so I bought the book.

I was astonished to see the detail and course material published in this book. Several previous writers on magick and/or wizardry added some of their work to this wonderful book. I read a reviewer say it's just a copy of others material OZ added to his book to sell, when you think of it Headmaster Oberon, would not be the admired wizard he is today with his life experience if he acted in his own belief that only his work was the only way. A true wizard recognizes others and their work, together forming the foundation of teaching and guiding wizard apprentices on their way to becoming journeymen and beyond.

I was the first South African student to enroll in this school and I have experienced a change from being a uninspired, negative person to a vibrant, positive person whom inspired so many others around me as well. What we do have within this school are magnificent, Lead-by-Example Professors and students who jump in and get their hands `dirty.' Students being all they can be, helping fellow students with classes. Learning world history from our classmates as we are scattered all around the world. The world is our campus... at least for now.

It's difficult to explain the power of such a place as the Grey School of Wizardry. This school and everybody involved have helped me figure out the person I truly am. What I could bring to others, how I could help them succeed in seeing themselves through different eyes. Help other people trust in themselves and in the Divine, which are out there you just need to reach out and take full grip of it. The power of the Universe is unlimited to those wishing to use it in an honorable way.

This is definitely a school to start your apprenticeship. Go search for the greyschool on the internet under and start your journey at becoming whom you were born to be.

Blessed Be
Helega Austrinorum Africae

As a fledgling writer, I can only imagine the hundreds of hours Oberon and his "Grey Council" put into writing this book. The topics this book covers range far and wide, everything from observing nature and embarking on a camping trip to organizing rituals, some astronomy, science, mathematics, psychic abilities, dream interpretation, "natural mysteries", animals, both existing and mythical ones, creating a magickal garden, herbs, various correspondences, lore of numerous cultures, and so forth. I also enjoyed the numerous glossaries of terms on various subjects found throughout the book.

There's truly a great wealth of information here, whether you're an apprentice wizard in your teens or quite a bit older. And while this book with all its "Harry Potter references" clearly is aimed at a younger audience, I wonder how many young people will take the necessary time to read it cover to cover. Even though the book only has 360 pages or so, each page has lots of information to cover. It's for this reason that the book requires a bit of an investment in time to read fully. Although I, like a handful of other reviewers wish this book had been around when I was quite a bit younger.

This is also clearly a book you need to skim over at least a second time to get all the information contained in it, but as such is a wonderful reference. Two minor points that bothered me. Oberon mentions vampires can be killed by sunlight, which according to a couple vampire books I've read is not true, it merely diminishes their powers. I also was a bit disappointed that Scott Cunningham (while listed in the Wizards section) did not merit a quick biography along with other wizards in that section of the book. Scott of course wrote countless books about Wicca during his life. But again these are minor points. I found this book truly fascinating and would recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about magick, be they young or old.

Although I am not a young man, rather a seasoned witch who follows Celtic magic, this book was delightful. This book literally fell off a shelf into my lap and once I thumbed through it I knew it was coming home with me. Perhaps it's because I was a diehard tomboy for so many years, but I found myself relating to Oberon-Zell Ravenheart's lessons to a young male audience. The book is entertaining and full of interesting facts about natural magic. Although many people have criticized Oberon-Zell for "preaching" his beliefs, the man did write this book and he has a right to speak his mind while imparting his lifetime's worth of wisdom. The book is in no way condescending. Forget who the target audience is supposed to be and just enjoy this author's wisdom and knowledge. Be a curious child and have fun!

I can say without hesitation this is a phenomenal book. The author has put forth a fantastic compilation of knowledge for th aspiring wizard or avid reader. The text reads easy while at the same time provides a depth of information and practicing magick can be read over and over. I will never part with this compendium of magickal knowledge.

G. Moorhouse
Fellow Stonesman

Having read the Grimoire, I have to say that it is a refreshing change from all the books out there that try to teach the typical "Wicca" and the religious aspect of the Craft.

Many people associate Witchcraft and Magick as one and the same, and in my opinion, couldn't be more wrong. Yes, magick is performed in Witchcraft, but there are many out there who practice true magick without the religious aspect of it whatsoever!

This book relays that to people of any age, in an easy to read format that caters to both young and old alike. If I could change one thing, it would be the Harry Potter references. I understand their relevance, but loathe the supposed correlation between the fantasy and the reality.

That aside, I don't think the movie and book references will stop people from taking this book seriously, if they are serious about learning true Magick.

Does anyone remember what happened when the movie THE CRAFT came out? I went into a local shop to pick up a Witches Almanac and they were out-explanation: hordes of teenage girls buying anything & everything with the word "Witch" in it. Talking to the proprietor, she was extremely concerned about this, afraid that someone would get hurt by trying magic without instruction.

Now HARRY POTTER has young children interested in magic. What this said to me is that we NEED to have experienced, knowledgeable elders who were willing to take the risk to write books to start these kids on the path.
I love the idea that elders as experienced and knowledgeable as Oberon Zell & the Grey Council are willing to share what they know, and are willing to put it in language that children can understand. I've already given this book to both my nephews (11 & 7). The elder is already deep into the book, examining all the lessons & voicing questions & opinions. The lessons are set up in a logical order with many references to Harry Potter & The Lord of the Rings so that the kids can equate.
My deepest appreciation to Oberon & the Grey Council for their extraordinary efforts.

To start off with how I wish I had had such a book 40 years ago! Noted Magickal author Raymond Buckland said the same thing. (and although you may not have heard of me, <wink> surely you have heard of him.)I have read a few reviews that say it is a bit simplistic. One must understand that A) it was written for a young audience and B) making a subject a light and enjoyable read while giving the reader the information they need, is no mean feat. Do you need other information to round things out...sure you do as it so plainly states. It is much like, to quote the author, the Boy Scouts Handbook. It is a starting point, a good reference and much more. And be honest don't you get more out of something that is written to both inform and entertain as you do from reading technical bulletins? Enjoy the read.