This course offers the instruction and process of making your own Magickal Ink for your own magickal use, spellwork, and sigil magick.
The ink recipes are based on creating a custom gall and india ink based on old recipes from medieval times. One in particular was meant to banish evil spirits. We take this base recipe and give room for you to change it as it suits your intention. This is NOT the only way to make your own inks, but it is just one recipe.
- I talk a little bit about my experience in the fine art world, the finishing world in custom cabinetry, and exploration of materials. I know a lot about materials!
- What are the differences between a paint (including acrylic, oil, tempera, and watercolor), dye, and ink?
- What are some traditional methods of using plant material or tannin based dyes/inks?
- We of course have a compendium of recommended materials to work with such as resins and plants, and we also discuss how to customize an extraction to use this as an extra magickal layer.
- You will learn how to make a traditional Gall Ink and your own base material of a Vitrol of Mars. Customizations are suggested for making this your own receipe.
- You will also create your own recipe for an India ink from natural resin, gum arabic, pigment, herbal extractions, and essential oil.
- We of course have a compendium of recommended materials to work with such as resins and plants, and we also discuss how to customizie with plants to use as an extra magickal layer.
Queen Meb, our retail location in Portland offers purchasable kits to go with with course. You can buy them in tandem or by themselves. Access to this course is for a lifetime. Kits are a single purchase to be mailed. https://queenmeb.com/collections/online-classes-through-the-house-of-twigs/products/pre-order-magickal-ink-making-from-medieval-grimoires-online
To make Gall Ink you will need:
- Gum Arabic (hand ground or manufactured powder gum arabic in water, or use your mortal and pestle to pre-grind your Arabic) - Seen in the first lesson with some ideas for magickal alignments
- Oak Galls, Oak (Bark or Wood) Powder, Tannin Powder used for Wine Making, Black Tea, or anything else that can be ground and has high tannins. (comes in kit) - Seen in the first lesson with some ideas for magickal alignments
- Vitrol of Mars - we made this on the previous lesson and should be an orange, rusty color before starting (You will need white cleaning vinegar, white vinegar or some other type, steel wool/and or rusty nails)
- (optional) A fine mesh cloth, a tea bag for your loose herb contents, or coffee filter and a separate container for straining
- (optional) Essential Oils - Seen in the first lesson with some ideas for magickal alignments
- (optional) Plant Extract, previously made, use instead of plain high proof alcohol - Seen in the first lesson with some ideas for magickal alignments
- Alcohol (We are using a high proof vodka, but other high proof alcohols will also work)
- (optional) Mortar and Pestle - Only needed if you have the raw Gum Arabic. Make sure to never use for food prep once resins or pigments have been mixed with it
- A non-corrosive mixing bowl such as glass or plastic - 2 small ones would be great
- Gloves such as nitrile or thick dishwashing gloves
- Non-metal stirring items such as a plastic spoon, a chopstick, or a bamboo skewer.
- (Optional) Plastic Syringes or a glass pipette can come in handy or a non-food use, plastic or glass funnel. In a pinch you can use the glass pipette that comes with your dropper bottle.
- An Empty 15 ml bottle (comes in kit)
- Very hot water from a tea kettle, or (preferred) to use a small saucepan on the stovetop to heat the water and tea ingredients for a "deep" steep. If you have more roots/bark it is best to use the stovetop method also for extraction of tannins. All e will need is 15 ml -30ml of water for this strong tea.
To make India Ink:
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- Gum Arabic (hand ground or manufactured powder gum arabic in water, pre-crushed and dissolved solution). (in kit)
- Pigments (Some pigments are easier than others to use. Some can be hydrophobic and some are oil phobic) This is where most of our ink color comes from so think about the resin color you may be adding as well. (in kit)
- Resins - Some are harder to work with and some are easier (in kit)
- (optional) Essential Oils (A selection of essential oils to give some plant energy to our ink) (in kit)
- (optional) Plant Extract instead of plain high proof alcohol (in kit)
- Alcohol (We are using a high proof vodka, but other high proof alcohols will also work.)
- Mortar and Pestle - Make sure to never use for food prep once resins or pigments have been mixed with it
- Glass plate, gloves, palette knives/ sticks, large syringes, etc can all come in handy.
- 15 ml empty dropper bottle (in kit)
*The original recipe I referenced is made from plant matter, alcohol, pigments, and resins. It used either lamp black (charcoal made from burning carbon materials). The specific recipe was out of an old Grimoire intended to banish evil spirits.
We take this base recipe and change it to be personal for everyone here so you can include your own intentions, magickal properties, and more.
**If you have a kit from us you will only need a mortar and pestle, water, vinegar, rusty nails or steel wool, and alcohol.
