Magical Inks And Writing Impliments

Magical inks can be easily made and used to write in your Grimoire or personal
magical journal. They are also useful in writing on slips of paper that you will
burn, bury or float as the type of spell requires. They make a beautiful and
magical impression as they are natural and handmade. They have been in continuous
use for as long as writing has been employed and the very first books of magic
ever compiled were written in these very inks.

As early as 23hundred BC Asians were using inks made of burned animal bones and
fish glue applied using sharpened needles. Oak Gall mixed with iron salts was one
of the first popular forms of ink in England and is the principal and characteristic
brown ink that can be seen on all the old documents.

Lampblack Ink is made from carbon, burned wood or bone and a fixative such as Gum
Arabic and will produce a stable black ink but the final work must be kept dry.
You can collect the carbon that deposits on the back of a spoon held over a candle
or from the inside of the shield of a hurricane lantern.

There are a number of plants that produce a dark juice or resin that when mixed
with a fixative like Gum Arabic are excellent for ritual use. The fixative will
also act as a preservative to give the ink a decent shelf life.

Boiled Alder bark yields a brown dye but must be boiled for several hours before
it will be dark enough. Ground black walnuts hulls can be used likewise though
they take far less time boiling to yield a dye. Add alcohol and Gum Arabic till
you get the desired consistency.

Pokeberry or American Pokeweed (Phytolacca) bears spikes of plump, dark purple
berries in the Autumn and though these berries are poisonous to eat they make a
beautiful purple ink. Carefully collect the berries as they will stain skin and
fabric. Place them in a bowl that is either disposable or will not be used afterward
for food and gently mash them. Drain the juice through a paper towel into a another
disposable bowl. Add enough Gum Arabic to make the solution suitable for your
preferred writing implement. When you have the perfect ink solution then using a
small funnel pour it into a bottle that you can use to access the ink for writing.

There is a red dye that can be obtained by covering Field  Poppy Petals with
water and leaving them to steep over night. Remove the petals in the morning and
add a solution of Dragon's Blood dissolved in  15% isopropal  alcohol.

Invisible inks can be made to write messages you wish to keep secret. One method
is to combine one part baking soda and one part rain water. Use a brush to write
your message and allow to dry. There are two possible ways to read messages written
in this "ink" one is to apply a source of low level dry heat, avoid setting the paper
alight. The second method is to use a large brush to wash the entire message in
grape juice concentrate, the message will stand out though the paper will become
purple.

The Lemon juice method of invisible ink. Simple juice of lemon can be used alone to
write your message. When exposed to direct sunlight or to a dry heat source your
message will appear in a sort of brownish writing. Again, take care to hold the
paper to the side of the heat source and not above as that may set it alight. When
you have finished reading the message you may wish to burn it to keep the secret
from others.

Paper, papyrus, vellum, and bark, these are all viable mediums for writing with your
magical inks. Birch bark is grand in spells for new beginnings. Vellum is made from
calf or goat skin scraped very thin and then stretched and dried. It is not as subject
to decay as paper or papyrus and therefore was always used for the most important
documents. Papyrus is a form of paper made by laying strips of the papyrus plant
together and then drying them. This is the method that the Ancient Egyptians used for
thousands of years. You can also make your own paper. More on that in a future article.

Feathers and calligraphy pens, brushes, sticks, writing implements for magical works
Feathers used in writing are called 'Quills" and though lots of different feathers can
be used they must be a primary flight feather preferably from the wing of the bird.
The absolute ideal writing feather without a doubt is the primary flight feather from
the left wing of the goose (for right handed individuals) while swan feathers give a
larger print while retaining the superior writing qualities. Ostrich feathers, while
beautiful are poor choices for quill pens, as the quill must be strong enough to withstand
the preparation process. Turkey, Crow, Hawk, Eagle and Owl feathers can be used with
limited effect. To use a quill for writing it must be prepared first "In order to harden
a quill that is soft, thrust the barrel into hot ashes, stirring it till it is soft; then
taking it out, press it almost flat upon your knees with the back of a penknife, and
afterwards reduce it to a roundness with your fingers. If you have a number to harden,
set water and alum over the fire; and while it is boiling put in a handful of quills,
the barrels only, for a minute, and then lay them by." An accurate account of the
Victorian process by William Bishop, one of the last London quill dressers,
'Calligrapher's Handbook'.
A small, sharp knife called a pen knife is used to strip the barbs from the base of the
quill and then to slice the tip to an angle. Finally a slit is made in the tip, like that
found in a calligraphy pen. Now, when your quill is dipped into your magical ink it will
pull up a small quantity of ink due to capillary action.

Calligraphy pens work like man made quills and are easy to obtain and practice with
making them a clear choice for magical writing.

practice with your chosen writing and inks before starting to use them in a rite or in an
important book as you may find it difficult to master at first. You will soon see why
 writing was seen as an artform for hundreds of years but once mastered it is more than
worth your while.