Author is Oberon Zell-Ravenheart a trustworthy person to recive occult information from?

[Wizzard420]

I recently learned about the Grey school of wizardry and the prolific author Oberon zell and i was wondering if anyone had any insight into the validity of his books and teachings.

 

[beardedeldridge]

Ole granddaddy fruitcake himself.

*But to be fair, I’ve never been able to bring myself to read any of his work that I can think but I’ve never heard anything good (or even neutral) about the dude.

 

[Pyrokar]

I’ve never been able to bring myself to read any of his work

+1

anytime they give themselves names like Ravenheart, Silverwolf, Starlight and any other edgy furry nickname i know it's not for me.

so then i googled him and got the second confirmation

now to be fair, the same defense we give others applies here as well.

You'd think in any given genre the guy with the most books out published is the authority but obviously that is not the case (GoM)

regardless of that, even the most banal texts still introduce you to terms and concepts so it's not completely worthless (just mostly)

also im slightly suspicious that might actually be the author asking the question in which case sorry but have a nice day

 

[Asteriskos]

+1

anytime they give themselves names like Ravenheart, Silverwolf, Starlight and any other edgy furry nickname i know it's not for me.

so then i googled him and got the second confirmation

now to be fair, the same defense we give others applies here as well.

You'd think in any given genre the guy with the most books out published is the authority but obviously that is not the case (GoM)

regardless of that, even the most banal texts still introduce you to terms and concepts so it's not completely worthless (just mostly)

also im slightly suspicious that might actually be the author asking the question in which case sorry but have a nice day

He is / was involved in stuff like the Church of All Worlds, and at one time I believe something called the Green Egg?
I know people who knew him personally going all the way back to the 1960's/70s with the Church of All Worlds thing.
You might want to punch up Church of All Worlds and Green Egg in your favorite search engine to see what's currently going on there?

In my opinion the Grey School is a Kids draw, if you want to be "Harry Potter" it might work, just my opinion though.

Post automatically merged: Oct 24, 2024

He is / was involved in stuff like the Church of All Worlds, and at one time I believe something called the Green Egg?
I know people who knew him personally going all the way back to the 1960's/70s with the Church of All Worlds thing.
You might want to punch up Church of All Worlds and Green Egg in your favorite search engine to see what's currently going on there?

In my opinion the Grey School is a Kids draw, if you want to be "Harry Potter" it might work, just my opinion though.

His given name I believe is Tim Zell, if memory serves.

 

[djcullgirl]

dude, who doesnt want to be harry potter????? although i suppose living in jk rowlings private fantasy world would be hell...

I would say this; dont trust anyone as an expert, take it all with a grain of salt, research far and wide, and be very discerning. look at the common threads that tie things together, like youre mufuckin Indra or something. Then, when you have a pretty solid tapestry going, it can be alot easier to see if the information doesnt fit because its friggin bogus or you need to completely update your framework.... best of luck comrade

Edit: im a dumbass

 

[dcwilson]

He is / was involved in stuff like the Church of All Worlds, and at one time I believe something called the Green Egg?
I know people who knew him personally going all the way back to the 1960's/70s with the Church of All Worlds thing.
You might want to punch up Church of All Worlds and Green Egg in your favorite search engine to see what's currently going on there?

In my opinion the Grey School is a Kids draw, if you want to be "Harry Potter" it might work, just my opinion though.

Post automatically merged: Oct 24, 2024

His given name I believe is Tim Zell, if memory serves.

Or, maybe you could ask someone who is actually in CAW? Oberon is the equivalent of the High Priest in The Church of All Worlds (CAW), and he and Lance Christie were its founders. It has other priests and priestesses besides him. Green Egg Magazine still exists online. He is not the only professor in the Grey School; they have a staff. I have no personal experience with the Grey School, but it doesn't teach "Harry Potter" tier pseudo-magic. Oberon coined "Neo-Pagan", and Morning Glory coined "Polyamory", and also produced some unicorns. CAW's rituals are usually close to being Wiccan. There's also CAW Australia, so the Church is International. Like a lot of churches, COVID played havoc in CAW. It also had a small civil war with its Board of Directors in Ohio. The BoD created another church, ICAW, that they controlled, "excommunicated" Oberon, and tried to close down the original CAW. Fortunately, they were incompetent, and their time ran out. They lost, but they caused a hell of a mess on their way out "the door". BTW, CAW members don't proselytize! "No salesman will call!"

 

[Faria]

Oberon Zell himself is the real deal. His school, his books? I haven't read any of it. But the man himself is legit.

Long before any of this modern age in which we can freely discuss easily-obtained documents and share our learning and experiences with people around the world, there was Oberon Zell. He was the Supreme Arch-Wizard of North America long before anything like an "occult scene" existed. You would not be far off in saying that he's a big part of why the occult scene exists at all.

 

[bartyblack]

He was my first exposure to real magick. Just keep in mind almost all his written material is meant for children of the Harry Potter generation {raises hand}. I loved his books when I was 12, but if you're beyond 15 or so I don't think you'll get much out of it. His botany section or "Green Magick" if I remember right was pretty cool, but nothing you couldn't learn from an experienced gardener paired with Agrippa on herbs and plants. His work is very safe and free from being something someone could really hurt themselves with. Some of the energy work stuff is cool, but again, if you can read books for normal or intelligent adults, it's better to go to those sources rather than read his books.

 

[Wintruz]

Long before any of this modern age in which we can freely discuss easily-obtained documents and share our learning and experiences with people around the world, there was Oberon Zell. He was the Supreme Arch-Wizard of North America long before anything like an "occult scene" existed. You would not be far off in saying that he's a big part of why the occult scene exists at all.

Oberon? Is that you?

He's a hippie who glued horns onto goats and called them "unicorns" and wrote a few books so fluffy that they make Scott Cunningham sound like Plato in comparison. I have no idea what an "occult scene" is but it sounds like I'd burn it to the ground with everyone involved locked inside.

 

[dcwilson]

Oberon? Is that you?

He's a hippie who glued horns onto goats and called them "unicorns" and wrote a few books so fluffy that they make Scott Cunningham sound like Plato in comparison. I have no idea what an "occult scene" is but it sounds like I'd burn it to the ground with everyone involved locked inside.

You don't know how a unicorn is made! The horns weren't "glued on". You take an Angora goat kid, or any horned animal, and make an incision between its horn buds then gently push them together. The result will be a single horn. You have "no idea" what "an occult scene" is, but you're posting on one?!!? CAW was founded in 1968 in the Hippie era, so he's a "Hippie". Your call for violence is so "Christain".

 

[Wintruz]

You don't know how a unicorn is made! The horns weren't "glued on". You take an Angora goat kid, or any horned animal, and make an incision between its horn buds then gently push them together. The result will be a single horn.

Oh, so a process more invasive and abusive than that for which I was giving him credit. The capacity of deluded humans to want nature to be something other than it is, to want nature to support their neurotic fantasies, often while talking about how they venerate nature, never ceases to amaze. His "unicorns" sum up his spiritual bankruptcy more elegantly than anything I could write.

Your call for violence is so "Christain".

I'm a Satanist.

 

[Faria]

I have no idea what an "occult scene" is

This forum, for example. Before online, you had to know people in person, go to their homes or their events, or else work alone and mostly in secret. For most of that, you had to live in New York or California. Oberon, and some others including Anton LaVey, were very important to the development of the American interest in magic and related subjects because they were the hub of that activity on the west coast. You might think Oberon's teachings are fruitcake, but him being a hippie allowed others to flourish without pressure. That means providing a space for everyone, from the serious people to the kooks and a variety of different paths, just like we have here on forums. He has been a vigilant supporter of all this among the well-heeled normie public, all of what this board is about at least, since the days of the Beatles, and he will be remembered as one of the most significant magical persons of American history.

 

[rice candy]

I have a physical copy of his book "A Wizard's Bestiary" and it's one of the better spirit dictionary resources out there in my opinion.

 

[Thee Nightfool]

Into the trash it goes.

 

[dcwilson]

Oh, so a process more invasive and abusive than that for which I was giving him credit. The capacity of deluded humans to want nature to be something other than it is, to want nature to support their neurotic fantasies, often while talking about how they venerate nature, never ceases to amaze. His "unicorns" sum up his spiritual bankruptcy more elegantly than anything I could write.

I'm a Satanist.

I didn't say creating a unicorn that way was ethical, I was telling you how Lancelot the Unicorn was made that way in the 70s, and he's already been called on the "carpet" for it several times. He's not making any more unicorns. Animals in the US are routinely mistreated a lot worse every day in the US, but, it doesn't excuse it.

 

[jgesq]

Oberon has turned over the mantle of The Grey School to a new headmaster and I attended for two months taking a number of classes. It’s quite earnest in its curriculum and works hard at providing a solid foundation to a magickal education. They have a virtual school on Second Life - which is a little clunky - but it’s all very much on the up and up. It’s not for everyone (myself included) but it does go a long way towards providing a stepping stone into community, general
education of the magickal arts and provides a fellowship that is essential for some. Texts do lean into Oneron’s Apprentice Guide and it’s a solid compendium of practice and correspondences.

 

[Sabbatius]

Zell-Ravenheart is one of the handful of U.S. founders of the Neo-Pagan and Occult Scene. I have no beef with his work, nor have any discredit. Overall, the two times I crossed paths with him were amusing, light and nothing bad to say.