Here we go, the lengthier update as promised!
Since May 2022, a lot has happened that kept me off of the online world, and when I say a lot I mean A LOT!
First things first!
I travelled back to my home town and spent a few days in the family estate by myself. The building is locked for over a decade now since none lives there any more, so I finally had a proper chance to be in the moment, attune with the place, and explore. And oh dear, the exploration was worth it!
I found notes and diaries, some trinkets from my childhood, “practice” instruments (magic?), and books, many many books!
NOTE: I still don't know what word to use for the “practice”, since this was the “normal” for us, there wasn't really a specific word for it... well, let's go with everyone's “love to hate” cliché... “Magic” and with a C not a CK because I really don't find the reason to use the CK version.
Also, let's start calling “Techniques” Spells & Rituals, to make it easier for everyone to understand!
On that note...
NOTE 2: I think I should create a “Glossary” article/page at some point, because there is a lot to unpack in terms of Occult Societies and Magic with terms that do not exist in the Umanis (here is another word) world! Once I do, I will link it here: (coming soon)
But I digress!
Back to the exploration of the family estate... The findings of the search were not “enough” to justify my effort and satisfy me (yet). Yes, finding family and childhood memories was great... but...
Well, since I started “practising” again, it was time for the simplest yet most effective locator spell my grandma taught me when I was a child so I could always find my misplaced toys.
Voila!
In around 15 minutes time I heard a noise coming from the south wing, I ran there, the large drawer of the desk was on the floor (I swear I searched the drawer and it only had random utility bills in it), well... the drawer had different contents this time (I guess good old concealment spell? Double drawer bottom?)... My grandma's huge commonplace books where she was gathering notes of everything she knew (let's call it her Grimoire from now on, better to understand for future articles), and her much smaller “random notes” notebook (think of a standard exercise notebook for school).
What a treasure!
I spent the next couple of months trying to read her grimoire cover to cover... it STILL needs a lot of work as some pages are extremely difficult to decode, some appear blank and need a philter (concoction/potion) to appear, some give false information on purpose until deciphering is done... it is a MESS... a wonderful mess, but still, a mess nonetheless!
I am getting there though, a couple of pages a week, some times a bit more, some times none at all...
In the Grimoire, I have found Hand Techniques (spells cast by hand gestures), rituals, incantations, spells for wand magic, maps for certain locations, and so much more... also, recipes, SO MANY recipes!!! At least a couple of hundred pages of recipes that need to be decoded, from salve and medicinal magic to hoodoo powders, philters (potions), and all sorts of concoctions!
I promise I will share some with you once some pages are decoded and their results tested.
Well, let's go to the even more important update of the search... her little notebook.
A plain notebook, no protection on it and no decoding needed, just plain and easy to understand notes. BUT, very special notes!
People from the occult societies, outcasts, and people banished, physical addresses in the Umanis world, even a few telephone numbers of landlines that did correspond to the addresses!
That was it, right there, my chance to find a connection back to the Venumbris (Occult) Societies... and I did!
Long-story-short, I found someone in a similar place as I, a person who is from these Societies, another Venumbris, but who lives among the Umanis. His family was banished a few years ago, but they still have a way in due to being in contact with their extended family.
Well? What's next? What happened since then?
These events took place from June 2023 till the end of Summer 2023.
Since then, I have been studying and practising with all the material and instruments I found. From spells and rituals to manufacturing items and concoctions, testing out everything I find in the pages I manage to decode etc.
At the same time I exchange information and knowledge with my now “contact” from the Venumbris Societies (interchangeable terms from now on) and we plan a lot for the near future. We also exchange some ingredients and concoctions as soon after decoding a few pages as I realised that for this magic to work properly one needs ingredients grown and refined in the Venumbris Societies as the ones found in the Umanis shops don't work that well... And let me tell you, even simple things such as basil... the one you get from the Venumbris Societies compared to the one you get from the Umanis markets are only alike in smell and flavour, but their properties differ vastly! (planting, raising, gathering etc.)
So, my “contact” (let's find a name for him.... hmmm... let's call him Bill!). So, Bill, sends me ingredients (I am still not sure if he manages to buy these or smuggles them), and in return I send him one of everything I manage to make successfully. I think it is a fair deal!
All this made me realise two important things:
1 – I NEED time and the correct state of mind to fully explore my practice.
2 – I also need to accept that I have to learn how to use technology efficiently in order to be fully independent, especially when it comes to my online presence.
To do so, a few months ago I moved to an undisclosed location. I found a house in a remote spot in the mountains so I can have everything I need for my practice (nature, peace, space etc.), but at the same time it is extremely close to the nearest city (20 mins drive) so I can socialise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Oh, yes, I also learnt how to drive and got a vehicle!
Since I moved there I started studying “Web & Media” at a local college, so I can learn how to build my own website in order for my blog to be independent from big platforms, and also how to use social media efficiently to reach more people in case I can find even more “contacts” to the Venumbris Societies all around the world. The lessons include web design, social media, even how to take and edit photos & videos! Needless to say that I am so excited that you should expect a tonne of footage from explorations and studies once I set up some social media accounts in a few weeks! (any particular suggestions on which media you would like to see the updates in?)
And now we arrive to the present!
Sitting at my desk in the countryside, in my home-office packed with notes from my research, writing this, while planning future endeavours on a wall that looks like a conspiracy theory wall from a bad sci-fi b-movie! And if you are curious about the future plans... here are some highlights:
A trip to meet “Bill” in person to practice together and find a slightly better access to what we need from the Venumbris Societies.
Going back to page 1 of the grimoire and transcribe it page by page to create a standardised book with tested recipes.
Start making these recipes in small batches to stock up our (mine and Bill's) “magic” storage so we have things ready for our practices.
Think of ways to connect with more people for our research endeavours (both from the Venumbris Societies and the Umanis ones, everyone is welcome)... if you have any suggestions, they are more than welcome!
These are the most important highlights for now, I will be updating this blog as the progress goes one. For any questions, suggestions, etc. feel free to contact me and I will try to reply as soon as I can!
- Mortimor
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