Create a book of Ancient Memory utilizing the Extreme Journalism techniques created by Juliana Coles
(no prior art or writing experience necessary. A certain amount of self awareness or the openness and willingness to venture inward will be expected as well as a playful spirit.)
As summer edges into fall, shadows grow longer and the veil between this world and the other is thinnest. It is time to make the sacred journey we all knowingly wish for but put off time and time again... Let us gather our memories, words, and art around us for this magical and mystical journey of initiation where light and dark converge in the pages of our Grimoire for Self bewitching. Awaken as you discover your own guide into unknown territory where you will be called upon to develop intuition, intention, self dialogue, and self expression. Inspired by those who have gone before, you will uncover personal signs and symbols in a precious journal where peacock feathers, rose petals, and the smoke from sacred fires speak knowingly from between its pages. Words and thoughts, combined with unique imagery and intention, will create good spells, charms, cures; this is ancient medicine and will reveal a powerful force. Your Grimoire, a personal instructional manual, handed down through the ages, woman to woman, is a record of your spiritual growth, and will unveil to you all you desire. You have chosen a unique and difficult path; the way of the wise woman, full of ancient ritual, secrets, and blessings. Welcome to this sisterhood.
You are the wisdom that you seek. Call upon the spirits and powerful energies that surround you.
This is more than a workshop, it is an event. Step out of the shadows. Come forward. Reveal your true self. It begins now for you in choosing your book and gathering your supplies. I encourage you to do anything that sets the mood for you- or absolutely nothing. You can decorate supplies to make them seem ancient.. You can even come dressed as a witch, sorceress, fairy, wood nymph, enchantress costume complete with magic wand and chalice- but remember, we are working in paint, so anything you wear please be willing to mess it up. You could even decorate your apron or create a magical cloak to work in. We are setting the stage for self expression, and creating a character and a magical world that is different from our own will help us to see ourselves from a different perspective, one we may be unfamiliar with. This other voice has much to teach us. Dressing up is an act of devotion and can create intention and focus. This is how we become that which we seek. This is how we let our child play. I’ll be there in character and I hope my coven will be too. Our assignments that combine words with images to access our inner voices will revolve around this theme of creating the Grimoire. We will play with astrology, the tarot, power animals and familiars, and many other magick arts. So come out and play little ones. You are creating your first book of shadows.
What is a Grimoire: A grimoire is defined as a book of spells and incantations used for calling forth spirits. It was meant as a purely instructional tool with practical applications: a “how to” manual for spells, secrets, and enchantments. Today’s Grimoire is often handwritten by individuals for their own personal use and not meant for display or for sharing with others. The term grimoire is generic and may be used instead of the title of the actual book, which is often kept secret. The “Book of Shadows” is a Wiccan tradition. A sort of recipe book that included spells and incantations, but much more. A Book of Shadows may also contain dreams, poems, revelations, art, inspiration, mythology or anything else that can be considered a personal record of a spiritual journey, which is every woman’s path of initiation. A Book of Shadows, a unique book of self reflection, can resemble a diary or Visual Journal. And much like the visual journal, the grimoire will be our container for safe keeping - a soul house to protect our visions.
Magical Tools:
- your grimoire. But how will I choose my Grimoire or Book of Shadows: Your grimoire is an ancient book with yellowed, fragile pages, soft brown around the edges. Some pages may be falling out; some may be missing. It will have the stains of ages and fingerprints of women long before us. It is dusty. It was found in an attic, in an old trunk, in a locked velvet box with precious crystals, a deck of strange cards, and other magical charms. Did you see “Practical Magic” with Sandra Bullock and Stockard Channing? Young witches learn from crones to help each other through life and to own their special gifts. It is a great movie I recommend you watch to give you ideas to set the stage. In it, and it is worth seeing this movie just to view this book- I am forever haunted by it - is an unbelievable grimoire!) Choosing this book is up to you, and it will require your patience, heart and intuition. You should feel as if the book chooses you, for whatever reason, and it will be up to you to solve the problems this book challenges you with. So you find a book. You pick it up. It feels good in your hands. You turn it over. You almost want to bring it to your chest like an old friend, or a new one you instantly fall in love with. It whispers, “me, pick me.” But then you think twice. No, your pages are too thin, you aren’t big enough, too big, or too something or not enough of another: you don’t look old enough, I was looking for some velvet covered something that is quite different. You just aren’t right.
Don’t think twice. Respond intuitively. You will choose rightly. You can glue pages together to make them thicker. You can dye them with coffee or tea to age them, complete with coffee cup stains. You can rub an ochre or brown stamp pad around the edges to age them. You can take out signatures to make more room to protect the spine. You can glue on velvet and attach rivets and eyelets. You may choose black paper. You can alter a book, you can use one of those old velvet Victorian photo albums, you can buy a blank sketchbook, you can use a book you have all ready started, you can use any ole book around the house because it is last minute and you are in a hurry. You can choose to make your book. Do not worry about size or thickness. Do whatever feels right. Whatever you choose, we will make it work. This is part of the magick. There is a book out there that is calling for you. Go find it.
Supply List:
- Your Grimoire
- Bring your favorite glue (I recommend at least 3 large UHU glue sticks so we can work quickly!
the little ones are a waste of time)
- scissors
- some brushes for your paints, and a rag
- a jar or container for water for your brushes
- to create an olde world look, bring a calligraphy marker or ink pen and nib (A calligraphy marker
comes in different colors and often has two sides, one thin and one thicker. It is flat sided so
you can create old style lettering
rubber stamp letters (and numbers if you have them! and you may want to consider bringing an
old time font or something that looks gothic or Victorian. Industrious? You can carve your
own!)
- You will need at least one inch thick masking tape- the beige kind, and any other tape that seems
cool ( I like ˝” black masking tape)
- One magazine to cut up, 3 poetry pages to cut up
at least two acrylic paint colors (you do not need a whole set of anything)- one light & one dark-
(the cheapy craft kind are great - Anita’s brand is the cheapest! I prefer these kinds of paints
for the work we do because they dry to a matte finish and are easier to write back into,
however, they lack the vibrancy of good quality acrylics like Liquitex or Golden.)
- markers: Please bring at least 2 markers in any color-try two different kinds and thicknesses ( like
a brush marker and a black permanent-these will probably get ruined)
- a regular graphite pencil (a number 2 is fine or get yourself a graphite stick or an ebony or 6b
- at least two stamp pads- I prefer Staz on ( any color) because they dry so quickly
- Wet Ones brand wipes ( or any other wipe with alcohol or other toxic cleaner- get a small
package or get the big jug and share with your friends!)
- Collage elements: half the fun of creating is the research and discovery: the gathering of items for casting our spells and telling our secrets. For collage you can grab pieces of paper or images that appeal to you for whatever reason. You can bring old photographs but keep in mind, anything you bring can get messed up, so you may want to bring copies of anything precious. You may want to bring magical and mystical items that will relate to the project such as tarot cards, tarot card paper, old letters, charms and milagros, ancient manuscripts, stained ribbons, faded fabrics, images of palms or hands for palm reading, astrology symbols, black cats, four leaf clovers, lucky horse shoes, gold foil items...
Other Tools of the Craft:
- Personal Altar: Please bring a mini altar you can set before you on the work table. It can be something special you create with intention, or just a small plain box where you can keep at least three small items of personal power and medicine. This can also be a pouch or medicine bag you hang from your neck or your belt. In my medicine bag I have a small bronze owl I bought in Greece to represent my grandmother Helen who was a world traveler. I call on her for safe travels. The owl represents Athena and her justice and wisdom. The main item in my bag is so precious, I cannot reveal its name to anyone, not even you. Its medicine is powerful, and meant only for me.
- Each student will be required to bring an “Alchemy Bag” for our incantations. A plastic grocery bag or smaller will do. (We will dump these in the center of our table and will use them to create spells.) Some suggestions are collage items, paper, an old paintbrush that is all glued together, that orange paint you hate, stickers from when you were 14, Artist tools and supplies you no longer use or never liked, glitter, torn up pieces of your artwork that didn’t work out (no recognizable artwork, please) books to cut up, magazines, office supplies, sticks, markers, 2 inch chewed up pencils, be sure to include some magical items and items from nature from where you live- flower petals, sticks, leaves, seeds...you get the picture-sort of a magical grab bag. We will be using these mystery bags as part of a mixed media warm up assignment. What, and how much to bring, is up to you. Don’t worry about trying to include nice things- don’t buy anything - we’re looking more for mysterious unwanted items. We all ready have our own nice supplies-we want your cast offs to really make us think!
Optional:
- you might want some gel pens or any other material that can write on top of dark
surfaces
- You may want some rubber stamps in strange symbols or borders to decorate your
pages. (a friend of mine has some cool rune stamps!) Whatever calls to you, bring it.
- some needles and thread, embroidery thread or some other alternative method of
attachment. Try some ribbon, string or leather straps to make ties or closures.
Please email me, the High Priestess Juliana, if you have any concerns or questions: meandpete@msn.com
A Little About ME
I developed a solid foundation for my artistic expression by receiving my BFA from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. My path as an exhibiting artist has brought me awards and grants. Based on my artistic expression, I developed Extreme Journalism as a tool for healing and self dialogue in 1992 for the Epilepsy Society, and I have taught and refined my pioneering and self enchanting process that combines journal writing with art making in the safe container of a book ever since…
