Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

You understand how important a Book of Shadows is, but you might be having difficulty figuring out how to create one and what should go into it. This is a highly discussed topic, but in many instances we talk about it as though everyone knows exactly what we are talking about!

So what is a Book of Shadows? Basically, is a journal of sorts in which you write down your thoughts, spells, rituals, or any other information that you want to remember. It is a very personal book to you and although people do sometimes share them, you don’t have to. While you might ask someone about their own book and the types of information that they put in it, yours should be based on your own traditions and needs and not on someone else’s.

Some people find that writing a Book of Shadows is overwhelming. Perhaps they don’t consider themselves to be a writer or maybe they simply just don’t know where to begin. Well, the good news is that you don’t have to be a writer to keep on. In fact, you’re really the only one meant to read it so it doesn’t matter if it’s not creative, if you tend to misspell words or use improper grammar, or if you tend to use the same adjectives over and over again. This is not going to be graded!

As far as getting started, you can think of it as a journal if you would like. There is no wrong place or right place to begin.

I have a couple of books that I keep for myself. I have one book (a beautiful, leather-bound sort) that I use for spells and rituals. I also have a journal (okay, I have several) that I keep for my thoughts. In addition, I try to keep a dream journal, too, although sometimes I fall behind on that one.

Sometimes, of course, they overlap. For instance, if I do a spell or ritual I might make notes in the margins for things that I might want to keep for future reference. At the same time, I try to write about my experiences with the spell or ritual in my journal, too. I can be more in-depth with that particular outlet and I find that helpful. You might find it helpful, or you might not.

Some people write down the phase of the moon, the sign that the moon is in, and even how old the moon is when they record their thoughts in their journal. They like to do this because it helps them keep track of their moods, dreams, and thoughts to see if there is any pattern to them.

In my dream journal, not only do I jot down what I dream, but I try to analyze them and also write down other pertinent information that might be helpful in my determining the meaning behind them. For example, I always write down whether or not I was in my own bed at the time (or in a hotel, on the couch, etc.) and what I had eaten prior to falling asleep. Yes, food can sometimes play a part in dreams. In addition, I write down any movies that I watched close to my sleep and anything that I might have been thinking about before drifting off. This is particularly helpful if I have had a disturbing nightmare. It’s a lot nicer to think that it was caused by that cold piece of pizza that I ate rather than a foreshadowing of events to come!

The book itself should “call” to you. Friends and family members often give me journals and while I accept them politely the ones that I am close to are the ones that I have picked out myself because I felt something in them. Your writing utensil can be whatever you feel comfortable writing with, but my piece of advice is that if you find something you really like-buy a bunch of them.

Most people start the book off with a dedication that might be a poem, song, statement, or anything else that feels sacred to you. From there, what you put in it is up to you. Holiday descriptions, a depiction f your altar, your own definition of magick, the basic format to your rituals-it’s really up to what you think is important to you.

Although I have used other people’s spells (or at least a version of them) from time to time, I generally only write the ones that I have come up with myself in my Book of Shadows.

Keeping up with the times, some people find that having a Cyber version of their Book of Shadows is easier to keep than a “real” book. This is up to you. However, considering the instability of computers, you might still want to keep a hard copy with you. That way, you can make notes on it and you will always have a backup with you. And, you can carry it with you-unlike your desk top.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”