In the past, I’ve never really used a book of shadows. It always seemed as though it were just another journal which could be useful as a self exploratory tool, never really caught my interest. The further along the path laid before me I get, it keeps becoming more and more apparent that I need to keep one–not for myself, but for my children or any other “students” that come along. I know that I have had to figure everything out myself from the very beginning, and though this has been a useful exercise in itself, it’s not something that I would wish on anyone else especially my children. There will always be trials that I never had to go through, entities that I’ve never encountered, and paths I have not traveled, but I wish to have a reference for them so that they can have a place to begin with.
And that brings me to the purpose of this post: to explain my thoughts on my now current BoS and the future of it.
The purpose of the BoS is not to be a journal. It is to be a reference book that could never be sold in a store, but can be trusted completely as a reference. Therefore, it must be clean, easily scanned through, thorough but not to the point of rambling. All of the information must be completely understandable and not put into metaphysical/New Age confusion which is so prevalent in other references.
It must be a book not a computer file because computers die, flash drives get lost, and every other possibility that can cause things to get lost randomly on a computer. It is currently in a journal with no lines so that drawings are easy to understand. It currently is unorganized because organizing in a journal is a task of futility, but once the journal is filled, the information will be recopied into another that is far more organized. It may even be typed up and printed.
The sections will include the following: rituals, practices for increasing magickal power, entities and all information on them, special circumstances, information on associations, and a random information part.
Now, other people may have different ideas on what a book of shadows is supposed to be, but this is my view of it.
I certainly have not reached a point in my practice where I have need for a Book of Shaodws however I would just like to say that even though computers file can be lost so to can a book – Ej in a fire, purrhaps stolen for whatever reason, maybe even accidentally lost
i also need to start reading what I type before I post *sorry about this by the way* I meant to type “currently” not “certainly”
I’ve always loved the idea of getting an Oberon Design journal cover and then filling up those inserts without countless notes about the mystical path, then adding the essential lessons and info to a hefty tome. Those individual journals- all the same simple design- can be a set of encyclopedias on the shelf and the hefty tome can be the “bible” o’ magick. I know, I know, a little fanciful, but it would certainly be cool.
At this moment totally paranoid about tech failure, i have the “craft” folder on desktop and i have the printed out references. Herbs, correspondences etc take up about two good sized binders. For the personal stuff, spells(i only use my own), rituals, etc. It’s a bit more disorganized but it i ever HAVE to pass it on, it will probably represent my journey and will able to be understood as such, from the easy to more complex.
Some of my rituals will be recorded in a hand bound bos will quill and special ink. That will be buried with me.
Way cool! I’d imagine my handwriting in each successive volume getting larger to accomodate my worsening eyesight.