Book of Shadows: Ask a Witch 5
Ask a Witch: A blog that answers back…
I get flooded with questions on a regular basis because of working at a metaphysical store. Ranging anywhere from “what is that?” to “I have an attachment, how do I get rid of it?” and my favorite, “do you have any dead animals for sale?” I thought I would take the time to answer some common questions on a larger platform rather than individually. I feel sometimes sharing knowledge helps those who don’t know to ask or they have so many questions, they don’t know where to begin. Each week, I am going to tackle a couple questions and allow people to get the answers they seek without feeling pressured. If you have any questions, you can send me an e-mail or shoot me a message on social media and I will answer your question in a blog anonymously.
This weeks question is from Sage R who asks:
Do you own a book of shadows? If so, how do you work on it?
Oh the treasured book of shadows, the great magical tome with all the spells in the world. Many different traditions have a book of shadows and it can mean different things based on tradition. To define what a book of shadows is: it’s a written record of a witch’s journey in the craft. Typically, it will contain spells, reference information such as correspondences, holidays, information specific to a tradition; it can also contain rituals performed as well as journal entries regarding various magical acts. I have a book of shadows, but I also have a few other journals that also contain information because I am still working on organizing everything. The current book of shadows I am working on is more along the lines of a teaching tool. It is being filled with little bits of information to help guide me to where I can find more information later. I am also working on putting my spells and rituals in it as well. It’s a little more artistic, but still functional. It has been a real help in getting things organized for me because I have a much larger and more expensive book of shadows that I plan on putting together to pass down to my children should they decide to follow in my footsteps. Now I want to back track a bit and say that a book of shadows doesn’t have to be some large fancy tome. It can be a simple notebook or binder that you work on. I recommend starting with a notebook or binder to help you collect and organize before you decide to transfer it to a more final home. That’s another thing: it’s common misconception that a book of shadows is some sort of project that is meant to be completed. I don’t believe this to be the case for me. It is a growing part of my path and its something that should grow as you do.
Now let me share some tips for starting your own book of shadows. First off, don’t feel that you need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy leather bound tome. Do what works for you and is comfortable. If it’s too fancy, you may feel less inclined to write in it for fear of “messing it up”. Second, take the time to organize a bit and decide what exactly you want your book of shadows to be. Is it merely a collection of spells and rituals? Is it a reference book with correspondences, charts, and definitions of terms and concepts? Maybe it’s a mix of both; whatever the method you chose, there is no wrong way to do it. Each book of shadows is unique and special to the practitioner. Second, always be sure to draft everything first because the last thing you need is a spelling or grammar error in your book. Third, I encourage everyone to also include journal entries in their books. I feel it’s really great to have your personal feelings and experiences documented because it will help you grow and give your book a more personal touch instead of just a strictly information heavy tome.
As far as actually working on it, I tend to do that in spurts. For one, it’s fairly labor intensive and I want it to look correct, so I spend time organizing and mapping out each page. First, I decide what exactly I am going to be working on for the moment. I then gather all the info I have about it and begin to organize my thoughts. I always ask myself, “What is necessary information that I can use to help guide me further later?” I don’t want it to be too vague or too detailed, but just in the middle. Second, I tea stain the page because I’m not a huge fan of plain white pages. The book I currently am working on has that old feel to it. Then, I write out the page in pencil to see if the info fits on the page. I have fun with different fonts and lettering to make each page look great, but also still functional. I don’t want my book to be something to look at, but rather something to actually use. After it gets my personal approval, then I grab my markers and pens and begin to make the page permanent. One thing I keep in mind when working on my book, is that it’s not about finishing it. I work on maybe one or two pages a day and allow the book to grow as I do.
***Please note each Blog is the unique expression of the Blogger and does not speak for The Green Man as an entity, but rather is one of the many diverse colours that make up our Green Man Tribe.
