Making Magickal Tools on a Budget
Constantine
soon it'll be time for me to make the tools. I'm on a budget and
living in a small apartment, though, which makes it difficult to
obtain painting supplies, not to mention actually paint. Has anyone
else had this problem, and what did they do?
Also, I'd like to find a length of cane with short segments, as per
the instructions in the GD book. Right now, I have to choose between
some fancy work with a dowel or accepting a wand two feet long...
Any advice on these would be appreciated.
Alex Sumner
"Constantine" <jconst...@postmark.net> wrote in message
news:7eb3360a.04010...@posting.google.com...
> I've been working my way through the Golden Dawn system of magick, and
> soon it'll be time for me to make the tools. I'm on a budget and
> living in a small apartment, though, which makes it difficult to
> obtain painting supplies, not to mention actually paint. Has anyone
> else had this problem, and what did they do?
I too was once poor and living in my house and finding it hard to get
painting supplies. I solved the problem by going out to the local shops and
getting the paint supplies there.
>
> Also, I'd like to find a length of cane with short segments, as per
> the instructions in the GD book. Right now, I have to choose between
> some fancy work with a dowel or accepting a wand two feet long...
>
> Any advice on these would be appreciated.
Bamboo cane is remarkably cheap. The inner core can be made from an old
steel coat-hanger, and can be magnetised by making it the solenoid in an
electro-magnet set-up, which you can easily construct yourself, from
materials which should not cost more than £5 ($10 US) from your local
electronics store, assuming you know a modicum of Electronics.
Fr. A.o.C.
> I've been working my way through the Golden Dawn system of magick, and
> soon it'll be time for me to make the tools. I'm on a budget and
> living in a small apartment, though, which makes it difficult to
> obtain painting supplies, not to mention actually paint. Has anyone
> else had this problem, and what did they do?
Space is not such a problem. I managed to make GD tools in a workspace
the size of a card table. A card table will do just fine, in fact. Cover
the top with cardboard and tape it at the edges. An old ice cube tray is
fine for mixing paint colors, and a coffee cup to hold water, and that's
all the space you need.
Paint and brushes are another matter. You can't cheap out. Using cheap
liquid "craft" paint is a waste of time and effort, and with cheap
brushes your work will just end up looking clumsy and unsatisfying. Use
artist quality acrylic paint that comes in tubes, available in any art
supply store. It will run you from $5 to $10 per tube, but a tube goes a
long way.
Get these colors (or equivilents -- ask the art supply salepeople). Buy
them as you need them for what you're working on and spread the expense:
Titanium White
Mars Black
Napithol Red Light
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Brilliant Blue Light
Cadmium Orange
Permanent Green Light
Prism Violet
Cobalt Blue Deep
Quinacridone Magenta
Permanent Gold
Transluscent Silver
(For example, all you need is the gesso primer, Napithol Red Light and
Cadmium Yellow for a Fire Wand.)
Mix it with equal parts water and cover the work with 2-3 thin, smooth
coats. Several thin coats looks better than one thick coat. Keep your
brush wet.
You'll also need a bottle of white "gesso" (artist's primer paint) to
paint surfaces with first before applying the color. If you use metal,
soak it in CLR cleaning fluid first to slightly etch the surface so the
acrylic paint will stick. Glass must be roughed with fine grit
carborundum sandpaper.
Sable brushes are the best -- get a variety ranging from 1-inch wide
down to a "000" spotting brush (for painting sigils and letters). Clean
your brushes often! Take care of them and they'll last a long time.
Cheap paint and cheap brushes are false economy.
One more thing you need is a can of clear acrylic spray to seal the
paint after it dries. Give it two or three light coats.
> Also, I'd like to find a length of cane with short segments, as per
> the instructions in the GD book. Right now, I have to choose between
> some fancy work with a dowel or accepting a wand two feet long...
I once made a Fire Wand out of a piece of bamboo taken from a broken "pan
pipe" set. But don't worry about the cane with segments -- frankly, you
can pretty much ignore what pitiful "instructions" there are in the
Llewellyn "black brick". I made the Fire Wand I use now out of brass
tubing. Get Chic and Tabitha Cicero's "Creating Magickal Tools" for much
better instructions. See: http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/creating.htm
You can have a look at my set of tools, with some instructional
commentary on how I made them, at:
http://home.comcast.net/~max555/tools/
- Fr. A.o.C.
-----
"Learn the rules, and you can get away with anything..." - J.G. Ballard
Alan O'Brien
news:3FFDCECE...@slip.net...
Superb, superb instructions and a dazzling set of actual photographs. I
can't wait to see the new set of photos that you're doing. One of the
advantages of LO-Qual photos is that they are very quick to load. You are
obviously talented and I tip my hat to you.
What about ink for siglis and letters? I suppose the surface of the acrylic
would not be smooth enough.
Not just talented but prepared and bold enough to use that talent; and that
is something I admire.
Alan
Di-a-rama
<ma...@slip.net> wrote:
> Constantine wrote:
>
>> I've been working my way through the Golden Dawn system of magick, and
>> soon it'll be time for me to make the tools. I'm on a budget and
>> living in a small apartment, though, which makes it difficult to
>> obtain painting supplies, not to mention actually paint. Has anyone
>> else had this problem, and what did they do?
>
> Space is not such a problem. I managed to make GD tools in a workspace
> the size of a card table. A card table will do just fine, in fact. Cover
> the top with cardboard and tape it at the edges. An old ice cube tray is
> fine for mixing paint colors, and a coffee cup to hold water, and that's
> all the space you need.
Be sure you don't make ice in a tray that once had cadmium or cobalt
pigments in it. In fact, I would recommend a dedicated tray regardless of
which pigments you use--they are cheap enough and easy to get at the grocery
store. Also, don't smoke or eat while you are using the paints. To be more
environmentally conscientious when disposing of paints, you can smear the
leftover used paint on some newspaper to dry and then discard--this is way
better than washing wet paints down the drain. It will also help save your
plumbing. You can also use the newspaper to get most of the paint out of the
cups and the excess off your brushes.
> Paint and brushes are another matter. You can't cheap out. Using cheap
> liquid "craft" paint is a waste of time and effort, and with cheap
> brushes your work will just end up looking clumsy and unsatisfying. Use
> artist quality acrylic paint that comes in tubes, available in any art
> supply store. It will run you from $5 to $10 per tube, but a tube goes a
> long way.
>
> Get these colors (or equivilents -- ask the art supply salepeople). Buy
> them as you need them for what you're working on and spread the expense:
>
> Titanium White
> Mars Black
> Napithol Red Light
> Cadmium Yellow Medium
> Brilliant Blue Light
> Cadmium Orange
> Permanent Green Light
> Prism Violet
> Cobalt Blue Deep
> Quinacridone Magenta
> Permanent Gold
> Transluscent Silver
Good paint brands are: Golden, Winsor & Newton (Finity), Liquitex (Artist
Colors)
WN & Liquitex offer lower (student) grades, but I can't recommend them if
you really want the best. I think they could work ok for these types of
projects, though.
> (For example, all you need is the gesso primer, Napithol Red Light and
> Cadmium Yellow for a Fire Wand.)
>
> Mix it with equal parts water and cover the work with 2-3 thin, smooth
> coats. Several thin coats looks better than one thick coat. Keep your
> brush wet.
>
> You'll also need a bottle of white "gesso" (artist's primer paint) to
> paint surfaces with first before applying the color. If you use metal,
> soak it in CLR cleaning fluid first to slightly etch the surface so the
> acrylic paint will stick. Glass must be roughed with fine grit
> carborundum sandpaper.
You can also lightly sand between coats of gesso to give a very smooth
surface. Dilution is a good idea since it will help level out the brush
strokes somewhat. Less water may be required for some brands, though,
depending on their thickness. If your item is small enough, you could also
dip in in the full-strength gesso (use a house-painting tray) rather than
brushing it on. However, that may require some practice!
Other tips: Pepsi will also etch metal. Etching is not required if you
sand with wet/dry sandpaper or steel wool. Metal works best if degreased
before painting--TSP is good for this and is available in the paint aisle of
the hardware store (use as you would a powdered cleanser and be sure to wear
rubber gloves). And if you sand glass, make sure it is wet-sanded with
water and wet/dry sandpaper--glass dust is very dangerous to breathe.
> Sable brushes are the best -- get a variety ranging from 1-inch wide
> down to a "000" spotting brush (for painting sigils and letters). Clean
> your brushes often! Take care of them and they'll last a long time.
> Cheap paint and cheap brushes are false economy.
Sable brushes are *not* the best for acrylic paint. The acrylic actually is
very hard on the hair which means you waste money in the long run due to
brushes wearing out quickly (sable is best for water color, gouache, fluid
oil and fluid acrylic). Plus, sable is really too soft to handle the
thickness of the paint. The best brushes for heavy-body acrylic are boar
bristle or synthetic. If you are doing fine work, boar bristle will
probably not be satisfying, nor will you be able to find very small sizes.
There are some excellent synthetic brushes made specifically for acrylic by
Winsor & Newton called Galeria and Monarch. http://www.winsornewton.com
These brushes are less expensive than sable, but they are professional grade
and come in a large range of shapes and sizes.
> One more thing you need is a can of clear acrylic spray to seal the
> paint after it dries. Give it two or three light coats.
Probably not necessary since acrylic is a plastic polymer and has a rather
tough film when dry...but varnishing is a completely acceptable option. Be
sure to use in a ventilated area and don't inhale! As an alternative, you
can get brush-on varnish.
Cheers,
Di
Fr. A.o.C.
Di-a-rama wrote:
> Be sure you don't make ice in a tray that once had cadmium or cobalt
> pigments in it. In fact, I would recommend a dedicated tray regardless of
> which pigments you use--they are cheap enough and easy to get at the grocery
> store.
Indeed, even cheaper at a Goodwill or other second-hand store. And if
you mix paint colors that you want to use over a day or so, you can wrap
the ice tray in plastic cling-wrap to keep the paint from drying out.
Also, an acrylic paint remover like "Goof-Off" or "Oops" (available in
hardware stores) can clean up spilled paint drops, and can also be used
to completely clean brushes that may have dried with some paint still on
them. AND it's quite useful for removing spilled wax from fabric (test
the fabric for color fastness first, and follow all directions on the
can as it is a toxic solvent.)
> Also, don't smoke or eat while you are using the paints. To be more
> environmentally conscientious when disposing of paints, you can smear the
> leftover used paint on some newspaper to dry and then discard--this is way
> better than washing wet paints down the drain. It will also help save your
> plumbing. You can also use the newspaper to get most of the paint out of the
> cups and the excess off your brushes.
All good points. There are generally warnings on the containers of
cadmium and cobalt based paints these days regarding handling, but it's
good to emphasize the warnings.
Also Brera (made in Italy) makes a good acrylic and I've found the brand
at discount prices. The "student grade" paints are generally OK but they
are thinner and need less mixing with water -- which also means they
don't go as far. Don't bother with the liquid "craft" paints like Deka.
> > (For example, all you need is the gesso primer, Napithol Red Light and
> > Cadmium Yellow for a Fire Wand.)
> >
> > Mix it with equal parts water and cover the work with 2-3 thin, smooth
> > coats. Several thin coats looks better than one thick coat. Keep your
> > brush wet.
> >
> > You'll also need a bottle of white "gesso" (artist's primer paint) to
> > paint surfaces with first before applying the color. If you use metal,
> > soak it in CLR cleaning fluid first to slightly etch the surface so the
> > acrylic paint will stick. Glass must be roughed with fine grit
> > carborundum sandpaper.
>
> You can also lightly sand between coats of gesso to give a very smooth
> surface.
Sanding before applying gesso is a good idea too, of course. Apply as
many coats of gesso as needed to get a smooth, solid white surface. If
you don't gesso first, the colors will not be as brilliant.
> Dilution is a good idea since it will help level out the brush
> strokes somewhat. Less water may be required for some brands, though,
> depending on their thickness.
As said, student paints require less water. But a bit of water should
always be mixed in if you want a smooth surface with a minimum of brush strokes.
> If your item is small enough, you could also
> dip in in the full-strength gesso (use a house-painting tray) rather than
> brushing it on. However, that may require some practice!
I used an epoxy-based white primer spray for painting my glass Water
Cup, and it sticks very well.
> Other tips: Pepsi will also etch metal. Etching is not required if you
> sand with wet/dry sandpaper or steel wool. Metal works best if degreased
> before painting--TSP is good for this and is available in the paint aisle of
> the hardware store (use as you would a powdered cleanser and be sure to wear
> rubber gloves).
91% isopropyl alcohol is an excellent degreaser, and you don't have to
mix it like Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP). TSP is sufficiently basic to
corrode eye tissue. It's also an environmentally unfriendly phosphate
chemical -- there are liquid alternatives available nowadays. Jasco TSP
No-Rinse Substitute contains no phosphates and is biodegradable,
noncorrosive, nonflammable, and odorless.
> And if you sand glass, make sure it is wet-sanded with
> water and wet/dry sandpaper--glass dust is very dangerous to breathe.
>
> > Sable brushes are the best -- get a variety ranging from 1-inch wide
> > down to a "000" spotting brush (for painting sigils and letters). Clean
> > your brushes often! Take care of them and they'll last a long time.
> > Cheap paint and cheap brushes are false economy.
>
> Sable brushes are *not* the best for acrylic paint. The acrylic actually is
> very hard on the hair which means you waste money in the long run due to
> brushes wearing out quickly (sable is best for water color, gouache, fluid
> oil and fluid acrylic). Plus, sable is really too soft to handle the
> thickness of the paint.
Then you're mixing the paint too thick. I clean the brushes right away
and dry them, and I've got sable brushes I've used for years.
> The best brushes for heavy-body acrylic are boar
> bristle or synthetic. If you are doing fine work, boar bristle will
> probably not be satisfying, nor will you be able to find very small sizes.
Boar bristle is not usable for this kind of work. And the only decent
"00" or smaller spotting brushes, which you have to have for painting
small letters and sigils, are only available in sable.
That's another tip: always paint the letters/sigils on with titanium
white first, then paint over with the proper color. Otherwise some of
the background color will always show through slightly, which spoils any
"flashing" effect.
> There are some excellent synthetic brushes made specifically for acrylic by
> Winsor & Newton called Galeria and Monarch. http://www.winsornewton.com
> These brushes are less expensive than sable, but they are professional grade
> and come in a large range of shapes and sizes.
Sable simply gives the smoothest surface with the least visible brush
strokes. But fine, synthetic white nylon brushes are a good compromise.
> > One more thing you need is a can of clear acrylic spray to seal the
> > paint after it dries. Give it two or three light coats.
>
> Probably not necessary since acrylic is a plastic polymer and has a rather
> tough film when dry...but varnishing is a completely acceptable option.
It really does put a nice finish on the work, and since they are going
to be handled (and therefore get skin oils and sweat on them), the
acrylic spray makes them much easier to keep clean.
> Be sure to use in a ventilated area and don't inhale! As an alternative, you
> can get brush-on varnish.
Do NOT use standard polyurethane brush-on varnish or shellac, as these
will turn yellow with age and spoil the colors. I once made a Lotus Wand
for a friend and tried using supposedly "clear" polyurethane varnish,
and it turned the whole thing piss-yellow and ruined it.
Varithane makes a non-yellowing, polymer-based alternative to Acrylic
spray called "Diamond Wood Finish" that will give you a more matte-like
finish if you don't care for the high glossiness of clear acrylic.
- Fr. A.o.C.
-----
"Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the
artist does the better." - Andre Gide
Di-a-rama
<ma...@slip.net> wrote:
>> Be sure to use in a ventilated area and don't inhale! As an alternative, you
>> can get brush-on varnish.
>
> Do NOT use standard polyurethane brush-on varnish or shellac, as these
> will turn yellow with age and spoil the colors. I once made a Lotus Wand
> for a friend and tried using supposedly "clear" polyurethane varnish,
> and it turned the whole thing piss-yellow and ruined it.
Actually, in art, varnish is a generic term that applies to a clear finish
coat. There are proper artist-grade acrylic varnishes that can be purchased
in the same places that have the paints.
D
Di-a-rama
>> There are some excellent synthetic brushes made specifically for acrylic by
>> Winsor & Newton called Galeria and Monarch. http://www.winsornewton.com
>> These brushes are less expensive than sable, but they are professional grade
>> and come in a large range of shapes and sizes.
>
> Sable simply gives the smoothest surface with the least visible brush
> strokes. But fine, synthetic white nylon brushes are a good compromise.
Oops, forgot something else--these brushes I'm talking about are not the
white student-grade nylon ones seen in most places. Those are quite
horrible. The Galeria brushes are reddish brown and the Monarch brushes
look like mongoose. The are really quite fine, especially the imitation
mongoose (Galeria is springier, Monarch is softer). But, I'm an artist and
I wouldn't dare buy sable because they would be destroyed quite quickly. It
is not just the thicker paint and the chemical binding agents--it is also
the surface being painted that is a factor. If you're only doing a craft
project here and there, you take immaculate care of them, and you have mucho
dinero, then go for it.
Don't leave your brushes standing on their bristles in your cup of water no
matter what the hair is made of.
Cheers,
Dianne
Constantine
store and start pricing painting supplies...
Fr. A.o.C.
Alan O'Brien wrote:
> "Fr. A.o.C." <ma...@slip.net> wrote:
>
> > You can have a look at my set of tools, with some instructional
> > commentary on how I made them, at:
> >
> > http://home.comcast.net/~max555/tools/
>
> Superb, superb instructions and a dazzling set of actual photographs. I
> can't wait to see the new set of photos that you're doing. One of the
> advantages of LO-Qual photos is that they are very quick to load. You are
> obviously talented and I tip my hat to you.
Thank you for your kind compliments on my humble work. *grin* I should
point out that in all cases these tools were not my first attempts, but
usually the result of suffering several failures to get satisfactory
results, and learning from my mistakes.
> What about ink for siglis and letters? I suppose the surface of the acrylic
> would not be smooth enough.
Unfortunately, no kind of ink would stick to the paint very well. I even
tried using "paint pens", such as the gold and silver ones sold in most
stationary stores. The paint would stick, but they are not suitable for
fine detail work; it's like trying to do calligraphy with a blunt-tip
magic marker. I had to give in and learn to use very fine "000" paint
brushes.
> Not just talented but prepared and bold enough to use that talent; and that
> is something I admire.
Thanks again. I hope to add soon the photos of the Officer's Tools I
made for my Lodge to the page.
- Fr. A.o.C.
-----
"There's a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things
out." - Lou Reed
Paul Hume
> > would not be smooth enough.
>
> Unfortunately, no kind of ink would stick to the paint very well. I even
> tried using "paint pens", such as the gold and silver ones sold in most
> stationary stores. The paint would stick, but they are not suitable for
> fine detail work; it's like trying to do calligraphy with a blunt-tip
> magic marker. I had to give in and learn to use very fine "000" paint
> brushes.
>
I found you can in fact thin the Liquitex liquid colors (not the tube
colors) with water and medium, to maybe half the paint's original
consistency, which is thin enough to let it flow off a Speedball nib,
so I could use a pen for some of the calligraphy.
Thinning the paint makes it even more vital to use the technique you
described (I got it from Chic's book) of drawing charges in Titanium
White or thin gesso first, then painting the charge color over that
primer, to prevent "bleed thru" of the ground color.
And do I detect one of those heavy Mexican glass goblets from Pier 1
under the Lotus leaves on the Water Cup? I always thought those had a
near perfect chalice-shape and used one for many years, painted with
Gallery Glass "stained glass" paint for the leaves, with orange
acrylic for the charges. (Alas, it had an encounter with a cat on the
altar one day, and though it was tough, didn't survive).
Paul
Fr. A.o.C.
> > > What about ink for siglis and letters? I suppose the surface of the acrylic
> > > would not be smooth enough.
> >
> > Unfortunately, no kind of ink would stick to the paint very well. I even
> > tried using "paint pens", such as the gold and silver ones sold in most
> > stationary stores. The paint would stick, but they are not suitable for
> > fine detail work; it's like trying to do calligraphy with a blunt-tip
> > magic marker. I had to give in and learn to use very fine "000" paint
> > brushes.
>
> I found you can in fact thin the Liquitex liquid colors (not the tube
> colors) with water and medium, to maybe half the paint's original
> consistency, which is thin enough to let it flow off a Speedball nib,
> so I could use a pen for some of the calligraphy.
Sounds like it would work to make ersatz "ink", but how well does a
Speedball nib work over an acrlyic painted hard surface? It would be
great if it worked, because it's much easier to do properly classic
Hebrew lettering with a Speedball pen than a 000 brush, at least in that
small of a scale. With the brush I found myself having to go back and
"correct" the spots where the paint spread too far, touching up over the
"slop" with the ground color. But if I totally futzed it on the first
pass, a wet paper towel would wipe it all away for a second try.
> Thinning the paint makes it even more vital to use the technique you
> described (I got it from Chic's book) of drawing charges in Titanium
> White or thin gesso first, then painting the charge color over that
> primer, to prevent "bleed thru" of the ground color.
>
> And do I detect one of those heavy Mexican glass goblets from Pier 1
> under the Lotus leaves on the Water Cup? I always thought those had a
> near perfect chalice-shape and used one for many years, painted with
> Gallery Glass "stained glass" paint for the leaves, with orange
> acrylic for the charges.
If memory serves, I got that one at a thrift store for about a buck
(which made it easy to follow the dictum of "buy a perfectly black hen
without haggling"!) I did find two lovely eight-sided cobalt blue cups
at Cost Plus that we use in the Lodge -- one for the Stolistes Cup (with
the "petals" trimed in flashing orange) and the other (left plain blue)
for the Water Cup on the Western altar for the 3=8 ritual.
Of all the Tools, the Cup seems to be the the one with the most artistic variations.
> (Alas, it had an encounter with a cat on the
> altar one day, and though it was tough, didn't survive).
Cat's on the altar... grrrr... my Wiccan friends assure me that cats are
inherently exempt from all restrictions as to "breaking the circle" and
the like, but I do get annoyed when my cat tracks specks of kitty litter
across my altar's black tablecloth.
- Fr. A.o.C.
-----
"And here I thought dabbling in the Black Arts would be good for a
chuckle -- how wrong I was." - Bart Simpson
Brett
muttered intensely:
>Of all the Tools, the Cup seems to be the the one with the most artistic variations.
>
>> (Alas, it had an encounter with a cat on the
>> altar one day, and though it was tough, didn't survive).
>
>Cat's on the altar... grrrr... my Wiccan friends assure me that cats are
>inherently exempt from all restrictions as to "breaking the circle" and
>the like, but I do get annoyed when my cat tracks specks of kitty litter
>across my altar's black tablecloth.
>
Ha! One of my little smirkers too. Going in to set up and finding
little grains of scoopable litter all over everything.
I have to close the door these days. Tripping over the cat while
circumambulating is not cool. Neither is having her rubbing against
or pawing at my leg and howling while I'm at a critical point of
concentration.
****
Brett (He's just some guy, you know?)
"Fair" is a Human Ideological Concept.
Brett
muttered intensely:
>Ha! One of my little smirkers too. Going in to set up and finding
>little grains of scoopable litter all over everything.
>
>I have to close the door these days. Tripping over the cat while
>circumambulating is not cool. Neither is having her rubbing against
>or pawing at my leg and howling while I'm at a critical point of
>concentration.
>
Feh. I'm just in there doing my thing and the male decides to stand
outside the door and howl like he's being killed. little fucker.
He got a face full of water from the Cup.
Paul Hume
> > colors) with water and medium, to maybe half the paint's original
> > consistency, which is thin enough to let it flow off a Speedball nib,
> > so I could use a pen for some of the calligraphy.
>
> Sounds like it would work to make ersatz "ink", but how well does a
> Speedball nib work over an acrlyic painted hard surface?
You have to be careful about beading but it worked quite well. Little
strokes, same as a superfine brush. I sand surfaces quite smooth, then
use gesso cut 1/3 to 1/2 with water, consistency of milk. Thin coat,
let dry, sand with fine sandpaper, second coat, sand even lighter
(extra fine paper). Same as prep for a super smooth surface on wood or
masonite panelling for "regular" acrylic painting, according to one of
my art textbooks.
> > (Alas, it had an encounter with a cat on the
> > altar one day, and though it was tough, didn't survive).
>
> Cat's on the altar... grrrr... my Wiccan friends assure me that cats are
> inherently exempt from all restrictions as to "breaking the circle" and
> the like, but I do get annoyed when my cat tracks specks of kitty litter
> across my altar's black tablecloth.
>
Depends on the cat and the circumstances. At the time my temple was my
living room in the townhouse I was renting at the time (OTO inits,
Mass, and personal work... and occasionally using it as a living room
to boot (g)). So no way to keep Persephone, the cat at the time, out.
She'd been sitting in on my rituals for over a decade at that point,
but this time wanted to see what I was doing more closely than usual.
Boaz and Jachin, the two cats of the Temple of Solomon and the present
Hume moggies, are more amenable when I close the door of the present
temple room, though also tend to just settle down and watch if in the
space.
Paul