Per Sebek

So I found out about the @2024-grimoire-challenge blog over on bluesky mostly by accident, and too late to really participate at the end of the year, but as one year closes, so another opens, and I want to take the time to go through the challenge on my own this year.

I am not yet keeping a physical grimoire for this challenge, but I would like to at some point. For now, I'm going to post my notes here, written at 750words.com, as a record. I'd one day like to tidy them up and put them in a physical journal, but that's for later, I think.

So this is my attempt at getting back into this, with a theme for writing now. I want to do the 2024 Grimoire Challenge, which has daily writing prompts. idk if I'll do them in a physical book, but I do want to use this to fill out my discord grimoire. I'll probably also keep some kind of backup record or digital bos somewhere just to get all these disparate notes in order.

Honestly it would be lovely to put all this in a physical grimoire at some point though. I think that would be super cool. I might consider it down the line but for now, it'll just be written, and I can collate all my notes and see where I get from there.

I'm hoping this will give me something to write, and not feel like I'm just procrastinating on my words. I am also trying to free my brain from feeling like I can't do fic writing unless I do it in here first, so. This is my way of forcing myself to just write fic anytime I want.

I'll also try to do this earlier in the day. Maybe something to do after lunch or something. Not a late night thing when I will get super tired and won't want to research things. I may do it first thing maybe. Like, take a look at the daily prompts, see if there's anything to research, and get looking into that stuff, either on the web or in my books, and take notes in here for me to refer to. And then I can take these notes and write something more formal later for a physical book. That way I'm not just writing in any old thing in a physical book, but taking the time to research and read and figure out what I want to say before I commit it to pen.

So the first point is to name your grimoire. In some ways, I want to skip this, since I don't have a physical book to write in at this point. But I will still be creating something, so it makes sense to name it. I think the name of the book will come once I decide on which book to use.

But perhaps a name for this one. Something like. Hmm. Writings from the House of Life, by Sebaumose. That might work for now. I like the idea of having a big collection of research and notes and other things that I haven't necessarily given as much time to documenting as I had before.

And it may end up that I keep separate physical notebooks. Like, maybe I use that one I started for herbs to fill out the herb pages. And another for gemstones and other magical correspondences. And keep the more theoretical/knowledge-based stuff to another one. But I also like the idea of keeping it all in one book just to document the whole thing and what I looked at, and maybe then I split it up? idk we'll see.

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Definitions page time! This is honestly a thing I should really have at hand, just for my own brain and such. What is a spell? What is a ritual? What are the differences between them?

These are difficult questions to answer as a Kemetic! But I think I can kind of tease out the differences, as well as the similarities.

A spell, for me, is something done to sway the gods in my favour. To heal, to harm, to seek justice, to prosper, to attract luck and love, that kind of thing. The gods may be invoked, but it's for my benefit. I do heka for house protection. I do heka to ask for assistance in job seeking. These are the mundane things that heka and spellwork cover that ritual doesn't necessarily cover.

Spellwork can definitely be ritualistic ofc. Sometimes that's what's needed. Ritual is a more formal way of honouring the gods and spending time with Them. It's very Them focused. It's something that involves invocations, offerings, petitions, rather than simple prayer and utterances and magical work.

Ritual is more god-focused for me. It's the vehicle for worship. I come to the shrine, purified, to spend time with the gods. To make offerings, to pray, to petition, in a structured way. Spellwork can be done anywhere. Ritual is done at a shrine.

I will have to make a proper definitions page for this, and tidy up my ramblings, but this is where my brain is at rn.

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And also because I'm doing this out of order in a way I don't have a list of herbs and gems ready to study. But I'll do the WA peppermint tree for my first one, and I'll look into it tomorrow. Right now, I want to make my list of gems and herbs, and work from that. And we do gems tomorrow anyway, so I'll have a look at both then.

1. WA Peppermint tree
2. Marjoram
3. Parsley
4. Garlic
5. Thyme
6. Basil
7. Pepper
8. Mustard seeds
9. Sunflower
10. Rose
11. Daisy
12. Eucalypts
13. Grass trees
14. Paper barks
15. Karri
16. Marri
17. Bottlebrush
18. Acacia
19. Everlastings
20. Cayenne
21. Dill
22. Salt
23. Sesame Seeds
24. Mugwort
25. Wormwood
26. Hibiscus
27. Passionfruit vine
28. Jasmine
29. Orange
30. Blue lotus
31. White lotus
32. Dandelion
33. Poppy
34. Ginseng
35. Yarrow
36. Catnip
37. Lemongrass
38. Lemon
39. Lime
40. Mint
41. Honeysuckle
42. Ginger
43. Sage
44. Lavendar
45. Chamomile
46. Strawberry
47. Onion
48. Tomato
49. Fennel
50. Rosemary
51. Leek
52. Bay

Gemstone/Mineral List:

1. Lapis lazuli
2. Gold
3. Pyrite
4. Amethyst
5. Iron
6. Lead
7. Antimony
8. Citrine
9. Calcite
10. Celestite
11. Moss agate
12. Bloodstone
13. Obsidian
14. Onyx
15. Aventurine
16. Quartz
17. Jasper
18. Chalk
19. Serpentine
20. Emerald
21. Ruby
22. Sapphire
23. Diamond
24. Sulphur
25. Agate
26. Moonstone
27. Sunstone
28. Lepidolite
29. Tiger's Eye
30. Amazonite
31. Angelite
32. Carnelian
33. Blue lace agate
34. Flower agate
35. Garnet
36. Rose quartz
37. Tourmaline
38. Black jasper
39. Hematite
40. Snowflake obsidian
41. Sodalite
42. Kambada jasper
43. Labradorite
44. Smoky quartz
45. Fluorite
46. Lava stone
47. Shungite
48. Tektite
49. Ukanite
50. Stromatolite
51. Rhodonite
52. Petrified wood

Thus ends the Lists Of Things.