Carolina Dean

What is a Book of Shadows?

History of the Book of Shadows 

Hearth Tradition Book of Shadows Outline 

Rite to Bless Your Book of Shadows

The Book of Shadows (BOS) is a very personal tool. It represents the whole of a witch's knowledge of the craft and chronicles the witch's journey as he or she walks their chosen path. Some Books of Shadows record progress of not only one witch, but several generations of witches, having been passed down over time through a coven or a family of witches. Sometimes, the BOS takes the form of a series of journals.

Some of the things that you will find in a typical Book of Shadows include: rites and rituals, spells, methods of divination, chants, information on herbs, magickal correspondences, Esbat and Sabbat information, healing techniques, initiation and dedication information, talismans, amulets, dreams, signs and symbols, in addition you may find personal information about those who kept the book at one time or another.

The Book's ominous name comes from the Burning Times, a time in history from about 1550 ACE to roughly the early 1900's when witches were persecuted, often to a point of death, because of their beliefs. During such a time when the utmost secrecy was paramount for survival, those persons wishing to adhere to their beliefs and practices had to keep them to themselves. Therefore, the witches practiced their craft in secret, surrounded by the shadows of the night, often writing their experences in their special book, which became known as the Book of Shadows.

Another more recent theroy regarding the origin of the term Book of Shadows, suggest that Gerald Gardner 'borrowed' the term from the title of a sanskrit book entitled "The Book of Shadows" which instructed the reader how to forcast their destiny my measuring their own shadow.

Very little is known about the practice of traditional witchcraft prior to its modern revival in the mid 1950's , let alone the BOS itself. Even before the time of the persecutions, folk magick and lore were handed down orally through the generations. It has been stated by many Hereditary Witches that their ancestors recorded their magickal knowledge and experiences in books, but they called it a Black Book.

Among the information found in the Gardenarian Book of Shadows, one of the first prototypical books of it's kind, can be found the Ordains. The Ordains are a set of laws supposedly passed down from witch to witch since, at least, the Burning Times. Among these laws the witch is advised, if he chooses to keep a 'Black Book,' to keep it in his own handwriting. In addition, he is instructed to let other witches co py from it what they will, but never to allow anyone to borrow his book, nor is he to keep the book belonging to another witch (for security reasons).

The Ordains go on to instruct the witch to be responsible for keeping his own writing from being discovered. The Witch is adjured to go so far as to burn his book if ever a credible threat of him being discovered arises, and by way of association or torture, the entire coven is found or identified. You can see how important it was for the witch to learn as much of his craft by heart, rather than depending on his BOS. Even Books of Shadows that were discovered were burned after being used as evidence to prove the witches guild. It is thought by many that this is the reason that so much of our ancient knowledge was lost to us.

There is no standard BOS for witchcraft in general, as there are in other religions. There is no Witch's Bible (however, there has been a book on the market by a similiar name.) Nonetheless, each tradition may have a standard BOS, which be adapted by other covens and/or solitairies, as had happened numerous times since the revival of modern witchcraft. In addition to the coven's standard BOS, individual witches will may add their own material to their personal copies. During the persectutions, a witch's BOS was traditionally burned upon his or her death; again, this was done for security reasons. However, there were instances where a BOS was passed down through a family line. Today modern witches often bequeath their BOS to a favorite studen, family member, or a member of the witch's coven.

A BOS is a book that you will never finish! You can study and learn for a lifetime, however, you will never learn all there is to know. Since your BOS is a record of your journey it should never be complete. Traditionally, the BOS is to be kept secret, but some have gone public with their over the years. Two cuch books were Diary of a Witch (1968) by Sybil Leek, and The Book of Shadows (1971) by Lady Sheba.

When Leek's book was published, during the Vietnam War, it won wide acclaim and sparked the interest of many disillusioned people to seek out and explore the craft. When Lady Sheba's book was published, it had much the same effect; however, many traditional witches were angry with her, beliieving that she had published secret information, and that she had plagiarized it's entire content. For the most part, history has vindicated her and few deny her contribution to the craft.

Today, times have changed and anyone seeking information about the craft can find it as close as the nearest library or computer. There is no denying that there is still a great deal of persecution of witches as well as a great deal of misinformation about our religion. The serious student with continued study and application can separate the wheat from the chaff and begin the process of creating his or her own special book.

The first step is to choose what type of book you want to serve as your BOS, Bound blank books are now widely available, but a three ring binder would be much more ideal, especially in the beginning. The binder allows for easier addition, deletion, and rearranging of material.

It is traditional to write a Book Blessing on the inside cover of your BOS for the purpose of protection and dedication of all that you will write inside. Before you begin writing your BOS, you may want to take some time to think abut how you will want to word your book blessing. Write it a few times on a separate sheet of paper to make certain that you have it just how you want it, then when you are ready, transcribe it into the inside cover of your BOS, or alternatively on it's first page.

Hearth Tradition Book of Shadows

I.   Title Page (Book of Shadows)

      1. Book Blessing

      2. About the Author/Tradition

          A. Your autobiography

          B. History of your Tradition

II. Introduction

     1. What is Witchcraft

         A. Formulation of Beliefs in Ancient Times

         B. The Mother Goddess

         C. The Horned God

     2. The Persecution

         A. Christianity introduced to Europe

         B. Attempts to convert Pagans

      C. Publication of the Malleus Malificarium, (1486) by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob

           Sprenger.                                           

         D. The tortures and killings

         E. The witches go into hiding (c. 1500 ACE)

3.      The Birth of Modern Witchcraft

          A. Publication of The Witch-Cult in Western Europe by Dr. Margaret Mc Murray (1921)

          B. Last laws in England against witchcraft repealed (1951)

          C. Gerald Gardner publicly declares himself a witch.

          D. Publication of Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner (1954)

          E. Ray Buckland introduces Wicca to mainstream America (c.1970)

          F. Some Wiccan Traditions

               a. Gardenerian

               b. Alexandrian

               c. Dianic

               d. Cabot

               e. Fairy

               f. Radical Faery

               g. Black Forest

               h. Hereditary (various)

         G. Introduction of Solitary forms of Wicca to Mainstream America

              a. Most believed only a witch can make a witch

              b. Publication of Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham (1988)

        H. Your Tradition

              a. Origin of your Tradition

              b. History of your tradition

              c. Other

III. Glossary

IV. Symbols and their Meaning

      1. The Pentacle

          A. Up-right vs. reversed

          B. Invoking vs. banishing

          C. Pentagram vs. pentacle

     2. The Spirals

         A. Clockwise

         B. Counter-clockwise

     3. The Solar-Cross

     4. Astrological Symbols

        A. The Signs

        B. The Planets

     5. The Symbology of Colors

     6. The Symbology of Numbers

V. Code of Conduct

     1. The Wiccan Rede

     2. The Three-Fold Law of Return

     3. What the Wiccan Rede Means to Me.

VI. Deities

      1. The Charge of the Goddess, or other central sacred story of your tradition

      2. Your Pantheon

          A. Maiden

          B. Mother

          C. Crone

          D. Father

          E. Son

          F. Sage

          G. Other

VII. Tools, Clothing, Names

       1. Your Magickal Name

           A. Definition and Purpose

           B. Method(s) of finding

           C. What your name means to you.

      2. The Book of Shadows

      3. The Altar

      4. Wiccan Tools

          A. Wand

          B. Cup

          C. Athame

          D. Pentacle

      5. Miscellaneous Tools

          A. Brazier

          B. Bolline

          C. Broom (Besom)

          D. Cauldron

          E. Element bowls

          F. Robe

          G. Other

     6. Empowering Tools

         A. Cleansing

         B. Consecrating

         C. Charging

    7. Storing Tools and Accessories

VIII. Components of Ritual

       1. Cleansing of Self

       2. Creating Sacred Space

       3. Casting the Circle

       4. Calling the Quarters

       5. Invoking Divinity

       6. Working/Honoring

       7. Energy Raising/Releasing

       8. Thanksgiving

       9. Releasing the Quarters

     10. Opening the Circle

     11. Clean-up

IX. Initiation and Dedication

     1. Self-Dedication Ritual

     2. Self-Initiation Ritual

X. Meditation

    1. Definition and uses.

    2. Instructions on how to meditate

    3. Meditative Aids

    4. Other

XI. Visualization

     1. Definition and uses.

     2. Visualization exercises

     3. Other

XII. Energy

      1. Definition and Uses

      2. Energy Exercises

      3. Other

      4. Astral Projection

          A. Bi-location

          B. The watcher

          C. Overlooking

      5. Artificial Elementals and Thought Forms

          A. What is a Thought Form?

          B. Timed Elementals

          C. Un-timed Elemental

XIII. Devotions

       1. Definition and Uses

       2. Devotion Rituals

           A. Morning Devotion

           B. Mid-day Devotion

           C. Evening Devotion

           D. Meal Devotion

           E. Other

XIV. Esbats

        1. The New Moon Esbat

        2. The Full Moon Esbat

XV. Sabbats

       1. Samhain

       2. Yule

       3. Imbolc

       4. Ostara

       5. Beltane

       6. Midsummer

       7. Lughnasadh

       8. Mabon

XVI. Birth, Death, and Marriage

       1. Handfasting

       2. Wiccaning

       3. The Wiccan View of Death

            A. The Summerland

            B. Reincarnation

            C. Rite of Passing (requiem)

            D. Accessing Past Lives

XVII. Ghosts and Spirits.

         1. Types and classifications of Ghosts

              A. The Nurturer

              B. The Trickster

              C. The Abuser

              D. The Echo

         2. Dealing with Ghosts

          A. House Banishing

          B. House Blessing

          C. Other

 3. Working with the Dead

      A. In the Graveyard

      B. The Ancestors

      C. Other

XVIII. Divination

          1. Definition and uses

          2. Types of Divination

              A. Tarot

                   a. The Major Arcana

                   b. The Minor Arcana

                   c. Tarot Spreads

             B. Runes

                 a. Feoh's Aett

                 b. Haegl's Aett

                 c. Tyr's Aett

                 d. Rune Spreads

             C. Astrology

                  a. The Houses

                  b. The Signs

                  c. The Planets

                  d. Other

            D. Pendulum

            E. Palmistry

            F. Numerology

           G. Graphology

XVIII Spell-craft

         1. How Magick Works

         2. How to Devise a Spiritual Plan

         3. Composing the Spell

         4. The Working Ritual

XIX. Magickal Applications

        1. Minor Magickal Applications

            A. Amulets

            B. Candle Magick

            C. Cord Magick

            D. Element Magick

            E. Gem and Crystal Magick

            F. Petition Magick

     2. Major Magickal Applications

          A. Herb Magick

               a. Planting and care of Herbs

               b. Harvesting Herbs

               c. Herbal Preparations

               d. Selected Herbs and their properties.

          B. Magickal Alphabets

               a. Runes

               b. Theban

               c. Greek

               d. Egyptian

               e. Other

          C. Potions

          D. Ritual Magick

          E. Sympathetic Magick

               a. Homeopathy and Contagious Magick

               b. Doctrine of Signatures

               c. Pattern for a Poppet

               d. Other methods of making a Doll

               e. The Naming Ceremony

          F. Talismans

               a. The Kameas or Magick Squares

               b. Making a talisman using the magick squares.

               c. Consecrating the Talisman

               d. Care and storage of your talisman

          G. The Mojo Bag

                a. Making a Mojo Bag

                b. Consecrating the Mojo Bag

                c. Care and storage of your Mojo Bag.

                d. Repairing a damaged Mojo Bag.

           H. Tarot Magick

XX. Astrological Correspondences

       1. Phases of the Moon

            A. New

            B. Waxing

            C. Full

            D. Waning

            E. Dark

       2. Days of the Week

          A. Sunday

          B. Monday

          C. Tuesday

          D. Wednesday

          E. Thursday

          F. Friday

          G. Saturday

3. Planetary Hours

    A. Calculation of the hours

         a. For the Day

         b. For the Night

 4. Other methods of timing your spells

A.     Hands on the Clock

B.     Tides

XXI. Index of Spells by Subject A-Z

XXII. Bibliography of Works Cited

Most witches are familiar with the act of writing a book blessing on the inside cover of their Book of Shadows, or alternatively on the first page. The blessing is written for the purpose of protecting and dedicating the information that you will write inside. The actual writing of your blessing will be performed as part of the ritual to bless your Book of Shadows.

Before you perform this ritual, you may want to take some time to think abut how you will want to word your book blessing. Write it a few times on a separate sheet of paper to make certain that you have it just how you want it, then when you are ready, you can transcribe your blessing into your book.

The ritual is performed when the moon is new on a Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury, the planet of communication and the written word. In addition, the mythological Mercury is associated with magick, among other things.

To begin, mark the four points of a magick circle with the four elements at their corresponding cardinal points. You will place dish of salt at the North, for earth; an incense cone at the East, for air; a red candle at the South, for fire; and a dish of water at the West, for the element of water. In addition, when I performed this ritual, I had my Book of Shadows resting on my bookstand in the middle of the circle.

Light the candle and incense. Then, cast the circle saying,

I conjure thee, Circle of art,

The veil between the worlds to part;

Round and round the circle is bound,

That within protection shall be found.

Contain the power raised within,

Until I set it free again;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

As I will so mote it be.

And invite the presence of the Lord and Lady, saying:

I call upon (deity) to descend,

Upon this circle & to lend;

Your energies to this rite,

And grant success unto my plight.

Take your BOS and facing North, dip one of its corners in the salt and say:

From the North, the element of Earth now cleans,

this book for positive means;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

as I will so mote it be.

Turn to the East, pass another corner of the book directly in the incense smoke, and say:

From the East, the element of Air now cleans,

this book for positive means;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

as I will so mote it be.

Turn to the South, pass another corner quickly and carefully through the candle flame and say:

From the South, the element of Fire now cleans,

this book for positive means;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

as I will so mote it be.

Turn to the West, quickly dip the last corner of the book into the water and say:

From the West, the element of Water now cleans,

this book for positive means;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

as I will so mote it be.

Return the book to the center of the circle and place it on the bookstand. If you don’t have a book stand, then place it either on a small table before you, or even on the floor. On the inside cover of the book, or alternately its first page, write your Book Blessing.

When you are done, place your hands palms down on the Book of Shadows and recite your book blessing as you feel the energy of the power of your words flow into the book.

Finally, thank the Lord and Lady for their presence. Then open the circle saying,

Circle of art open wide

The realms of man & spirit divide;

Round and round now be unbound

Energy sink into the ground.

Let us now return again,

To time & place that are the same;

In the name of the Lord and Lady,

As I will so mote it be.

EXERCISES

1. Write a book blessing for your journal. Add this to the front of your journal. If your journal is a three ring binder, this will be easy; if your journal is a blank book you may have to glue the blessing to the inside front cover.

2. Write and perform a ritual to bless your Journal and record this in your journal.

3. Think of a goal that you would like to achieve. Write the goal in your journal. For example, you might write My goal is to be prosperous.

4. Find a symbol, such as an astrological sign, a planetary sign, a rune, a number, etc...that represents your goal and draw that symbol below your written goal. For example you might choose the symbol for Taurus (wealth), Jupiter (expansion), Feoh (money), or even the dollar sign ($)

5. Below the symbol write three positive statements concerning your goal. Such statements may include:

• I am receiving all good things.
• I am a money magnet.
• All my needs are met and more.

6. Repeat one of your positive statements throughout the day while visualizing your chosen symbol. Continue this practice until your goal is achieved then choose a new goal.

7. Put the paper with your goal, symbol, and statement in a conspicuous place where you will often see it, such as your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, your vision board, etc…

8. Do not rely on this method alone to achieve your goal. Determine at least three things you can do in addition to this technique that will assist you in achieving your goal. Choose at least one of these actions and do them. Such actions can include:

• Create and adhere to a budget.
• Cutting back on un-necessary spending.
• Take a second job.

9. Record your progress in your journal.