Do you want to practise witchcraft but don't know where to start? Do you find it all too confusing? Maybe you've been practising for a while and want to go back to basics. Or perhaps you're a seasoned witch and want to explore more ways of practisin...
The Book of Shadows (commonly abbreviated to "BoS") is a collection of a witch's personal knowledge in the form of a book, diary, folder, or digital document. The term "Book of Shadows" originates from Wicca, but its use has propagated to many other traditions and is now used by many witches and pagans alike. Other equivalent, non-Wiccan terms for BoS include "grimoire" and "magickal journal".
The BoS is an essential tool in most witches' craft because it contains information most dear to them. Witches write everything in their grimoires from the most basic of knowledge, to complex, personal ritual experiences and experimentation. Witches' journals are deeply personal and valuable; so much so that some witches do not allow any other person to read or even touch their grimoires. For this reason, you should always ask the witch before touching their BoS, and treat it with respect.
Magickal journals should always be filled with as much personal flair as possible. Blindly copying someone else's grimoire doesn't guarantee that you'll fully absorb and understand the information. The best way to test your knowledge on any subject is to teach it to someone else, so what you write in your BoS should always come from you, as if you intend to teach it to someone else. A BoS is a documentation of your personal spiritual journey and the hard work your have undergone. Everyone's path is unique, and proficiency requires dedication; your grimoire should reflect these qualities.
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(Above) A genuine Book of Shadows created by Amethyst on YouTube.
While keeping a Book of Shadows is not compulsory, I cannot understate how important a BoS is from a practical point of view. The short of the matter is that occultism covers many, many areas of knowledge, and after just a few short years of practice you will find that the wealth of information becomes unwieldy. Keeping a grimoire simply allows you to organise the knowledge you acquire along your journey so it's much more manageable.
How to start a Book of Shadows: For complete beginner witches, I actually recommend starting your grimoire in either a 3-ring binder or a digital/online document, not a book, diary, or journal. This is because your first BoS is going to be far from perfect; it is extremely likely that you will end up adding pages, switching pages around, or getting rid of some pages entirely as you grow on your journey. Starting your grimoire in a medium that can adapt to your needs as they change will save a lot of headaches later on. Besides, once your confidence has grown, you can then transfer your grimoire pages into a proper journal or book of your choice.
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