February 2026 Grey Matters
- Master Meighen
- 4 hours ago
- 16 min read
Grey Matters
February 2026
Table of Contents
1. A Birthday Tribute to Headmaster Nicholas Kingsley
2. New Years 2026 Moot Report
3. Registration for Spring 2026 Cohort Open
4. The Caduceus Award Now Available
5. The Path of the White Wizard Challenge Series Now Available
6. Tinneas Sidhe – Fairy Afflictions
7. GSW Crossword
8. February 2026 Astrological Forecast
A Birthday Tribute to Headmaster Nicholas Kingsley
By Adeptus Oberon Zell
On Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in a beautiful ceremony held at the Highspire campus of the Grey School of Wizardry in Whitehall, NY, I formally passed the torch of Headmaster to my esteemed apprentice and protégé, Nicholas Kingsley.
Nicholas had already been serving as Provost since Nov. 21 of 2019, when he had become, at the age of 25, the youngest Provost of any school ever. He had joined the Grey School as a Sylph in 2005—21 years ago!—and was accepted as a faculty member in August of 2017, at the controversial age of 20. Today—Jan. 22, 2026—is Nicholas’ 32nd birthday!
This year the Grey School will turn 22. When I published the “Grimoire” and founded GSW in 2004, I was 61. I served as Headmaster for the next 18 years, through many trials and tribulations, and I was very happy to finally be able to pass the mantle on to a worthy protégé! Long may he serve! I have always maintained that the most important responsibility of any Founder is to select and train up a successor, and I am pleased and proud to have done so.
Over the past several years, Nicholas has done an outstanding job as Headmaster. He has continually updated and improved all aspects of the GSW website, making it totally functional for students as well as faculty. He has also developed Highspire into a fine physical campus, with classrooms and a dormitory for residential students and faculty. Highspire has been hosting annual Conclaves for the past few years, and further expansion of the Highspire campus is a high priority.
One of Nicholas’ most significant achievements has been the sustained care and intentional vision he has brought to the Grey School’s virtual campus. Rather than treating it as a novelty or a mere digital mirror of the physical campus, he has approached it as a living extension of the institution itself, shaped by the same standards of seriousness and purpose that guide the School as a whole.
Through years of patient development, thoughtful design choices, and pretty much near-constant refinement, the virtual campus has grown into a coherent academic environment. This work has drawn the attention of senior leadership at Linden Lab, including Madori Linden, who has recognized the VGSW campus as an example of how virtual spaces can be developed with genuine educational rigor in mind.
Nicholas is now engaged in working through the complex process of accreditation for the Grey School—an important milestone we have long hoped to achieve.
With his partner Arthur, Nicholas has established a Wizard Academy solidly in the community of Whitehall, becoming involved in numerous civic projects. During the COVID outbreak of 2020, Nicholas and Arthur donated masks to local emergency services and delivered useful survival supplies to neighbors. Under their aegis, the local as well as national reputation of our School has grown and flourished.
In a 2019 essay on “Envisioning the Future of GSW,” Nicholas said:
“As our Apprentices journey out into the world, I believe that they should be prepared to handle a multitude of situations, from counseling a grieving friend, to knowing their curses from Hexes. In tandem with these adaptations, I would like to see more classes structured around the Apprentice engaging with the material outside of the lesson, as well as fleshing out our departments with magicks from around the world.”
These are the kinds of things that Nicholas has been working to implement in the new Journeyman and Cohort Programs, as well as creating a peer-reviewed journal for publishing academic papers, and most recently a GSW Publishing House for magickal books. We are already planning to co-author several more books—a compilation of my journals of legendary journeys, and a 2nd edition of our “Hystory’s Mysteries.”
I am proud to be Nicholas’ Mentor, Friend and Water-Brother.
May we all Live Long and Prosper!
Oberon Zell, Headmaster Emeritus
Grey School of Wizardry
New Years Moot 2026 Report
By Vice-Captain Asher Blackwood
What an auspicious day that this past January 22nd turned out to be! Not only did we celebrate and congratulate Headmaster Kingsley on a wonderful birthday, but the Apprentice Leadership also came together to hold an evening Moot to celebrate the turning of the year!
The festivities started out with an opening ceremony to set the mood as well as inform the attendees of the events of the day. We then broke apart to enjoy a plethora of presentations put on by Apprentice Leadership and volunteers from the five lodges. Many fascinating subjects were discussed with much merriment and laughter to boot!
After about an hour, we gathered into the Great Hall for the attending faculty to come together in a panel to answer questions. They centered around the New Year theme and discussed different ways to spend energy (also much discussion of what we mean by energy), handle burnout, and the various ways to use timing for our greatest benefit whether it’s the New Year or another time. Listening to these great wizards discuss is always such a treat as, at least for me, there’s always some very helpful nuggets of wisdom that can be used.
Next up there was the Great Bike Race, a GSW favorite amongst the attendees. The course spanned the whole of vGSW with tight turns with all kinds of hazards that just seem to jump out at the racers! In the end, Prefect James of the Winds Lodge came in first with a glorious victory before the area was accosted by a mysterious wizard with a pumpkin launcher!
Once the chaos had calmed on the campus again, everyone returned to the Lodge Booths for more wonderful presentations, conversations, and hard-hitting questions by the birthday Headmaster himself.
When all presentations were completed, the group traveled north to a circle of tables with the hot new GSW card game, Wizard’s Duel, waiting for players to engage in a tournament. The tournament was fast and furious with stakes not seen since a certain card battle cartoon from the early 2000’s! Cards flew! Players fell! And in the end, Master Kayser emerged victorious above all others. Truly an underdog to champ story for the ages!
Finally, the closing ceremony was held in the Great Hall. Gratitude was given while a sleepy sort of merriment had taken over. It was time to depart from that magical time and place. Until the next great GSW event, of course.
Registration for the GSW 2026 Spring Term Cohort is now Open!
By Grey Matters Staff
The Cohort Program offers a live-taught path through the Grey School curriculum where pupils grow and learn alongside a consistent group of peers. Over time, faculty come to know their pupils allowing instruction and discussion to respond more directly to the people in the room rather than taking a broad, one-size approach.
Live classes and ongoing discussion between pupils and faculty create space for shared insight, and moments of learning that simply do not arise in isolation. This shared experience, carried across seven academic terms, supports both individual growth and a stronger sense of academic community.
Alongside live cohort instruction, pupils also retain access to the Grey School’s regular online text-based lessons, which support deeper reading, and self-directed study between classes. This combination of structured, live teaching and flexible, text-based coursework reinforces continuity across terms without sacrificing the ability to engage with the material at one’s own pace.
Taken together, this approach offers a prismatic curriculum that engages all sixteen departments of GSW. Rather than narrowing early into a single area Cohort Pupils develop a shared foundation across the School’s disciplines allowing understanding to deepen and integrate naturally as the program unfolds.
Learn More, Register, and Reserve Your Spot for Spring Classes Today!
"The Caduceus Award" Now Available to Hermes Club Members
By Master Meighen, Master of Studies
The Caduceus Award is available to those pupils who are members of the Grey School of Wizardry’s Hermes Club. It is awarded based on activity within Hermes Club, activity within the Grey School, and progress in the study of Ceremonial Magick. It is divided into three parts, which must be earned consecutively. This award is intended to recognize those who have made a dedicated effort towards the study and practice of White Wizardry as well as participation in GSW's community, as an adjunct to one's academic studies.
"The Path of the White Wizard" Challenge Series Now Available
By Master Meighen, Master of Studies
Greetings, Apprentices!
A new series of challenges is now live, titled Path of the White Wizard: Stage 1, Path of the White Wizard: Stage 2, and Path of the White Wizard: Stage 3.
In addition to a hefty trove of merits, this challenge has been designed to enhance your pursuit of a Ceremonial Magick Major by providing additional structure surrounding your growth into a competent White Wizard. Besides requiring the completion of relevant classes, you will also be rewarded for maintaining a disciplined practice and study of ritual and ceremony and the further pursuit of knowledge and insight.
While optional, and not required to graduate as a Journeyman and White Wizard, the effort required to engage with this series of challenges will be repaid amply in the form of greater confidence, wisdom, and skill earned through your efforts.
Be counseled that these are not simple tasks to be performed in a few hours, but rather a grand quest to strive and become by going beyond the usual expectations in the pursuit of an Apprenticeship and the completion of a Ceremonial Magick Major. These are for those who hunger for more.
Tinneas Sidhe – Fairy Afflictions: Illness, Influence, and Injury at the Edge of the Unseen
By Journeyman Dega the Black, Grey and White
“The fairies bulk so largely in Celtic tradition and magic that the problems associated with them cannot be ignored…In Wales they are known as the Tylwyth Teg, or ‘the fair family,’ and are ruled by Gwyn ap Nud…In Ireland they are the remains of the Tuatha De Dannan, once the gods of Ireland before the invasion of the Milesian race.” – Lewis Spence, The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain.
Those on a magickal path that interact with faeries are warned to understand and respect a world that works beyond normal human understanding, “Faerie rules are not human rules, and they do not heed human systems of ethics. As such, considerable care is involved in actual interaction, so please pay close attention to the rules and warnings” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, 2004). In this article, the author explores the concept of Tinneas Sidhe (Fairy Disease); as detailed by one source, “One of the central doctrines of the Gaelic ‘fairy faith’ (Irish: creideamh sidhe/sí, Manx: credjue shee) was the belief that the ‘Good People’ could cause illness and disease” (Atlantic Religion Staff, 2015).
Understanding the World of the Faerie
What is the World of the Faerie and why should we interact with it? According to Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Crow Dragontree, “Of all the other realms, Faerie is the closest realm to ours, bordering on both the collective psychic realm called The Dreaming and the Mundane World. Faerie is also close to the realm of the dead, to the voices of the ancestors, and it is connected to the divine aspect of ourselves. Through Faerie we may contact sacred power more directly. We enter into a realm where gods and goddesses are quite real and may speak to us” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 1 - Introduction, 2004).
Many people who are drawn to magical arts might wonder how exciting interacting with faeries might be. However, these interactions can range from benevolent, to mischievous, to malevolent depending upon the entity. It is best to understand the lore which make up the rules of interaction, “Faerie beings are to be approached with respect and caution. Their ethics are different from ours, and they may not be concerned about our little lives. They are of the ancient, primordial consciousness of the Earth and cosmos and not to be trifled with” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 2 - The Fae, 2004). Given this, sometimes even our best efforts to peacefully coexist may bring trouble from the faeries.
Faerie Afflictions
Sometimes, for any number of reasons, faeries may retaliate. Harm from faeries could result from violating unwritten or unknown rules about their structures or places as one source puts it, “We do hear of warnings of course; don't step into the fairy circle - whether it be a ring of mushrooms or a group of ancient stones. Sometimes, though, people actively seek to enter the land of the fairies and deliberately visit a place associated with the good people in order to commune or seek a gift of some sort” (Halpin, 2019). Therefore, people should be attentive not to disturb the surroundings and watch out for such possibilities of offense. These offenses could lead to attacks or afflictions. However, if the proper precautions are observed, a good relationship may result.
Even with the best of intentions, misunderstandings between humans and faeries are inevitable, resulting in an attack. One such manner of attack is the blast, “The first is by a ‘saighead sídhe’ (Fairy Arrow or Archer), firing a ‘poic sí’ (fairy blast or fairy stroke)…Any type of sharp pain felt was thought to be caused by the arrow of a Fairy. It was said that laying hands over the shot area could heal this affliction” (Kenna, 2025). One source adds additional context, “A striking or blow by the fairies (or unspecified spirits) was deemed responsible for a number of afflictions which might sometimes also be classed as ‘Tinneas Sidhe’: A sudden sharp pain, seizure or paralysis was likely caused by a ‘stroke’ or blow from an invisible being…The idea of being ‘Buailte‘ (‘struck’), is actually quite a complicated subject which combines with that of the Evil Eye, the Fairy Blast, and the concept of being ‘Elf-Shot’” (Atlantic Religion Staff, 2015). From this, the author recommends focusing upon the ‘sudden’ pain, but also looking around the environment; there are certain visual cues that one might be near a faerie habitation, “If you find a solitary hawthorn tree, especially if it is on a small hill, or near water, an entrance to the Land of Faerie is nearby” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 7 - Rules for Dealing with the Fae, 2004).
Other dark afflictions attributed to faeries are lesions, “The gradual onset of skin lesions can fit logically with the mode of action of wind which frequently starts gently and increases gradually. Sometimes, mysterious bruises appearing upon the limbs were ascribed to ‘fairy pinches’, and in the Isle of Man it was once a customary belief that improper piety to the Good People by not leaving them a bowl of fresh water at night would invite these particular skin blemishes. However, the sudden onset of illness was attributed to what is known as the ‘Fairy Stroke’” (Atlantic Religion Staff, 2015). While it is always wise to rule out ordinary possibilities for these lesions before attribution to faerie attacks, serious skin problems or other illnesses should be examined by medical professionals.
Another affliction is the concept of "Taking," “Another pathological power believed exercised by fairies was their ability to sicken or delude the mind, causing their victim to go running off (or be ‘carried off’) in a wild fugue or frenzy, to become lost and disorientated…Being ‘abducted’ by fairies and placed in a state of confusion is one of the commonest motifs in Gaelic fairy stories. It represents the victim somehow having the entrance to the fairy world ‘pierced’ so that he or she might enter its strange dimensions” (Atlantic Religion Staff, 2015). Many folklore tales include faeries guiding travelers astray, to include stealing children (Halpin, 2019).
Sarah Kenna details this concept further under another name: “The Strey is an affliction of being hopelessly lost and unable to find your way. It is documented to have happened to people shortly after doing something that offends the Sídhe. People reported lost for hours and days, wandering around the Irish countryside. It was not simply being unable to find your way home but you saw places and things differently, for example you may see a beautiful meadow in front of you but in fact, you are walking towards a steep cliff or into a deep water bog” (Kenna, 2025). Clearly, the strey is a deadlier response to offense by the faeries and lack of knowledge will not excuse the victim from their wrath.
This section emphasizes that faeries have their own boundaries, and as described by one source of gateways for interaction, “Gateways to Faerie are found not only in The Dreaming, but also in enchanted glens and forest clearings, mushroom rings, ancient stone circles, hollow mounds, raths, barrows and overgrown ruins. In such places, all you need do to pass through is enter a trance, or fall asleep—especially on Beltane Eve or Samhain, when “the veil between the worlds” is particularly thin, and the misty gates are open. Any time you are caught in a thick fog, you may find yourself in Faerie when it clears” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 1 - Introduction, 2004).
Common Defenses
Below are several traditional techniques for addressing suspected faerie interactions:
The Strey – “A common practice was to carry stones with you when you went out walking and if you found yourself afflicted with the strey, you would throw them in front of your path to see where they fell” (Kenna, 2025).
Abduction – “Being ‘abducted’ by fairies and placed in a state of confusion is one of the commonest motifs in Gaelic fairy stories. It represents the victim somehow having the entrance to the fairy world ‘pierced’ so that he or she might enter its strange dimensions. To return whole from this realm was dependent upon a number of frequently encountered stipulations, such not eating the fairies food, or taking their wine; Not setting foot on their lawns or meadows is a common caution in Ireland’s medieval fairy tales” (Atlantic Religion Staff, 2015). Other tactics include, “Should you find yourself in Faerie and wish to leave, it is said that all you need do is take your shirt off, turn it inside out, and put it back on again—thus rendering yourself invisible to the Fae. Turning your pockets inside out are also thought to protect you in the Faery realm” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 1 - Introduction, 2004).
Keeping Faeries at Bay – “The Fae are repelled by iron—especially if it is magnetized…By the same token, keeping a lodestone in your mojo bag will protect you against unwilling abduction” (Zell-Ravenheart & Dragontree, Intro to Faeries: Lesson 1 - Introduction, 2004).
Defense Against the Blast or Stroke – “In Celtic times flint stones in the shape of arrows were worn to protect against this and were considered especially lucky if they had a natural hole in them, also known as a hag stone in Ireland” (Kenna, 2025).
Summary
While Tinneas Sidhe represents only one aspect of the complex relationship between humans and the fair folk, it serves as an enduring folkloric reminder that not all unseen encounters are benign. Faeries operate according to laws and boundaries that are not our own, and ignorance of those boundaries has long been believed to carry consequences. As the natural world awakens with the coming of spring and the liminal spaces between worlds grow more active, a working knowledge of faerie lore—paired with respect, caution, and discernment—remains one of the most effective safeguards against unintended harm at the edge of the unseen.
Works Cited
Atlantic Religion Staff. (2015, May 18). Tinneas Sidhe: Afflictions from the Fairy Realm. Retrieved from Atlantic Religion: https://atlanticreligion.com/tag/fairy-stroke/#:~:text=These%20fairy%20'blasts'%20might%20burn,advise%20in%20redressing%20this%20balance.
Halpin, D. (2019, March 9). The Darker Side of Irish Fairy Lore: When Encounters Turn Dangerous. Retrieved from Ancient Origins: https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/fairies-0011597
Kenna, S. (2025). Tinneas Sídhe – Fairy Afflictions. Retrieved from Bean Feasa: https://beanfeasa9.wordpress.com/tinneas-sidhe-fairy-blast/
Spence, L. (1945). The Magic Arts in Celtic Britan. London: Rider & Company.
Zell-Ravenheart, O., & Dragontree, C. (2004). Intro to Faeries: Lesson 0 - Syllabus. Retrieved from The Grey School of Wizardry.
Zell-Ravenheart, O., & Dragontree, C. (2004). Intro to Faeries: Lesson 1 - Introduction. Retrieved from The Grey School of Wizardry.
Zell-Ravenheart, O., & Dragontree, C. (2004). Intro to Faeries: Lesson 2 - The Fae. Retrieved from The Grey School of Wizardry.
Zell-Ravenheart, O., & Dragontree, C. (2004). Intro to Faeries: Lesson 7 - Rules for Dealing with the Fae. Retrieved from The Grey School of Wizardry.
GSW Influential Authors Crossword
By Grey Matters Staff
Complete the crossword online at https://crosswordlabs.com/view/gsw-influential-authors-crossword
Or download a PDF:
Last month's answers:
February 2026 Astrological Forecast
By Grey Matters Staff
The Full Moon in Leo arrives like a spotlight with a mind of its own. One minute the room is dim, the next you are unmistakably seen, whether you asked for the attention or not.
Full Moons are moments of culmination and clarity, when something previously simmering steps into full view. In Leo, that revelation centers on authenticity. This lunation asks where you are performing out of obligation versus creating from the heart, and whether the recognition you seek is coming from a place of pride or genuine self-expression.
Opposing a busy Aquarius sky, the Leo Full Moon highlights a familiar tension. Personal desire rubs up against group loyalty. Warm, heartfelt validation competes with cool ideals of fairness. Creative selfhood confronts systems built on abstraction rather than emotion. The invitation is not to choose one side, but to integrate them. Lead with your unique voice. Advocate for systems that honor individuality. Bring warmth, loyalty, and a little drama to causes that risk becoming too sterile to inspire.
If the spotlight is on you, it is because something only you can offer wants to be seen.
On February 4, Uranus stations direct in Taurus, and the pace of change quickens. Since 2018, Uranus has been quietly and not so quietly reshaping our relationship to money, stability, values, and even the body itself. When this planet turns direct, unresolved tension can no longer remain theoretical. What has felt unstable demands action.
This station reactivates long-running themes around financial volatility, shifting economies, and evolving definitions of security. Insights gained during Uranus’ retrograde phase now require practical application. What once felt experimental becomes unavoidable. Because this is Uranus’ final station in Taurus before it exits the sign later this spring, February carries a sense of closure. One last jolt. Systems that refuse to evolve may shake. What remains is what can survive and grow.
Mercury enters Pisces on February 6, softening our thinking and loosening the grip of pure logic. Communication becomes more intuitive, imaginative, and emotionally attuned. This is fertile ground for creative work, spiritual reflection, and meaningful conversations that prioritize empathy over efficiency.
That said, clarity can blur at the edges. Details may slip through the cracks, and misunderstandings are more likely if assumptions go unchecked. Double-check the fine print, listen carefully, and give yourself space before acting on instinct alone. Mercury in Pisces reminds us that intuition is a language, but it still benefits from translation.
Venus follows on February 10, entering Pisces where it is exalted and effortlessly expressive. Compassion deepens. Boundaries blur in ways that can feel tender and poetic rather than confusing. This is a time to lead with the heart, to see beyond surface appearances, and to let creativity and connection flow without rigid expectations.
Relationships during this transit thrive on emotional honesty and spiritual resonance. It is a season for romance, art, and soulful connection, but also for remembering that empathy must be balanced with discernment.
Valentine’s Day brings one of the more significant alignments of the year as Saturn meets Neptune at the very first degree of Aries. Saturn offers structure and accountability. Neptune dissolves illusions and awakens imagination. Together, they ask where dreams need grounding and where reality needs inspiration.
In relationships, this alignment highlights the difference between fantasy and commitment, desire and devotion. Honest intentions matter now. For some, especially Libra risings, clarity around partnerships becomes unavoidable. Collectively, this conjunction invites us to build new structures that honor vision without escaping responsibility. Saturn may be uncomfortable in Aries, but its lessons here are about courageous maturity.
Eclipse season opens on February 17 with a New Moon solar eclipse in Aquarius, activating the Aquarius-Leo axis and amplifying themes of community versus individuality. Eclipses are never subtle. They accelerate change, close chapters, and plant seeds for what comes next.
This eclipse emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and authentic participation in the collective. It may bring breakthroughs that challenge old patterns, new alliances that support long-term goals, or opportunities to step into leadership that honors both self and society. What unfolds now continues to develop through the total solar eclipse in Leo later this summer.
The very next day, the Sun enters Pisces, ushering us into the final chapter of the zodiac year. Energy turns inward. The emphasis shifts from doing to processing, from action to reflection.
Pisces season invites review and release. As the Spring Equinox approaches, Pisces reminds us that new beginnings are strongest when preceded by rest, compassion, and forgiveness.
Finally, Mercury turns retrograde on February 26, drawing our attention back to unfinished conversations and unresolved emotional threads. Messages may go astray, but insights gained through intuition and symbolism can be surprisingly precise.
This retrograde is well-suited for creative revision, spiritual reflection, and emotional processing. It encourages patience, compassion, and trust in the slow emergence of clarity. Mercury’s backward motion helps us sort through lingering thoughts and feelings, clearing space so the next cycle can begin with intention rather than inertia.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is listen.
