Lilith's Labyrinth: Book of Shadows

There are certain Wiccan and pagan works which are included in pretty much everyone's Book of Shadows, such as the Wiccan Rede and the Charge of the Goddess. You will find them here, along with other commonly used information, like herbs, oils, crystals, etc.

If you are new to the Craft, please allow me to give you some guidance and inspiration regarding this most cherished witchy pastime.

Your Book of Shadows should be a blank book large enough to record significant amounts of information and should also have space enough for pictures to be added, along with your own art. There are a lot of sites and books which state that a Book of Shadows MUST be unlined, or MUST have a solid black cover. This is silly. Your book should appeal to you and meet your requirements. That is the most important thing.

So now you have your book, it is so awesome and cool and… empty. Don’t worry, it will soon be filled with all sorts of interesting things. If you are an organized person, and the idea of a mish-mash of random information in a book seems a bit daunting, I recommend taking the time to count the pages of your book (multiply by two for front and back) then divide the book into sections by counting the pages in equal (or approximately so) groups, and then adding a title page for each one. For example, my book is sectioned as follows:

Poetry and Meditations
Magickal Charts and Tables
Sabbats
Herbs, Potions, Stones, and Oils
Rituals
Charms and Spells
Recipes
Mysteries and Divination

There are approximately fifteen pages in each section and about 200 pages total in the book (there will always be a few random pages that end up getting torn out and redone, etc).

Your Book of Shadows can become a powerful magickal tool, as long as you give it frequent energy and attention. If you are an artistic person, it shouldn’t be hard to get creative with your book. Find pictures in magazines and online to cut out and paste. Draw, paint, make the letters cool, go to Hot Topic and get some fun stickers, learn calligraphy if you want that old-school look, the possibilities are endless. Or, if you want, make it super plain and boring. It’s up to you, that’s the whole point. You do NOT need to memorize spells. That’s what your book is for. It is totally acceptable to have it open during ritual. I don’t care what anyone else says. I’ve done almost all my spells and rituals this way, with a rather shiny success rate…

Your book should contain anything you find meaningful and useful. It should only contain mundane, regular-world things if you personally translate them in a magickal way. Keep it somewhere hidden and safe if you live among disapproving company, and never let anyone read it unless you give them permission to do so. When you are ready to begin using your book, it is a good idead to dedicate and empower it. Methods range from placing the book in the light of the full moon over night to rituals involving symbols of all five elements to lend their power to your workings.