by Grace Carter
A Book of Shadows, or a Grimoire, is a place for a witch to keep all of her secrets of her journey through witchcraft.
But how do you go about creating a Book of Shadows?
It really could not be easier – your Book of Shadows can be whatever you want it to be!
Your book of witchery is your own, personal book, of your own spiritual journey, and so no two books will be the same.
Your Book of Shadows will include things such as tips you receive from other witches, signs you get from the universe, notes on your dreams, books you have read – it doesn’t need to follow any particular order.
You can use any type of book or journal to begin your book.
“There is a misconception that to begin creating a Book of Shadows, you must have a particular type of book – but this is simply untrue!” says Frances Bailey, spiritual blogger at Essayroo and Boomessays.
“Even a ring binder that you can take paper in and out of will do – sometimes this is even better as it allows you to better organise things – and you can decorate your book however you wish to make it personal to you.”
Your book can be organised however you wish it to be, although there are certain categories that a lot of people like to have.
“I like to start my Book of Witchery with the Wiccan Rede, to remind me of my intentions from the beginning; that way I am reminded every time I open my book of what my journey is about,” says Betty Cook, book editor at UKWritings and Paperfellows.
The common sections that are included are:
- rules to live by
- wheel of the year and sabbats
- holy days and rites of passage
- moon phases
- symbols and correspondence
- spells
- recipes
- crafts
- chants and prayers
- a dream journal
- meditation journal
- reading journal
- and notes on tarot card readings.
Your Book of Shadows will be the most important tool that you own, so it is very important to keep a log of all the spells you use, the plants you discover, and the recipes that you practice, so they can be returned to time and time again, like a reference book.
The next step is to cleanse and consecrate your book.
Cleanse it however you like, and then open your Book of Shadows to the first page and write:
This is the magical Book of Shadows of (Your magical name) begun this day, (date).
Then, hold the book out in front of you over a candle, and read what you have just written aloud.
You can find other blessings online, if you feel there is one that would better suit your purpose.
The final, and probably most important step, is to write in your Book of Shadows as much as you can!
Keep your book next to your bed, so that you can write your dreams in it as soon as you wake up.
Write your visualisations and meditations in it, to keep a clear mind for spell casting – some witches like to get creative with their writing, whether it be with artistic, cursive fonts, or improving their writing skills so that their Book of Shadows reads well.
You might wish to include an index at the back of your book, such as runes, elven alphabets, symbols and their meanings, the uses of different crystals, oils and incenses – the list goes on!
The beauty about creating your Book of Shadows is that it is completely your own, to include (or not include) whatever has meaning for you.
Many people begin a new book once their old one is overstuffed; it is very helpful to look through your old one before moving on, to see how much you have grown in your craft, and how far you have come on your journey.
Creating a Book of Shadows is a beautiful experience in itself, so enjoy every moment of the process!
IN CONCLUSION
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