There are things that you should find in your Book of Shadows, and then there are those that have no place in such a sacred book.
You’ve got to keep in mind the purpose of having a Book of Shadows, which is to have a record of your magickal experiences and spiritual journey. It is something that you can preserve and look back on 10 years down the road and even pass it on to your daughters and granddaughters who show an interest in Wicca. Your Book of Shadows can serve as a reference material to future witches in your family.
There aren’t any absolute rules as to what you can place in your Book of Shadows, but it’s better to steer clear of the things I will talk about below:
Your Book of Shadows is your account of your spiritual journey in Wicca. This is not the place to write out your grocery list, and it is not the place to compute your bills. It is for spells, magickal thoughts, dream interpretations, rituals, etc. This is also one way to keep it sacred, to write only entries that have to do with magick.
When you are in the heat of the moment, you might be tempted to write down hateful thoughts you have about your partner, your mother, or your work mate. I understand how helpful that can be to blow off steam, but it’s best to have a separate diary for that. Have a separate journal that serves as your daily diary. Keep your Book of Shadows free from anything that you will regret reading about in the future. As negative moods go, they do fade and you do move on and forget about them. Spare your Book of Shadows the negativity that will be in its pages forever.
Wicca is not about black magick but white magick and purity. If you read enough about Wicca, you know it is the path of peace, nature-loving, and grounding. It is not simply WITCHCRAFT where you cast spells without the help of the Divine.
Don’t forget the Wiccan Rede: “An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will” and the threefold law. Engaging in black magick will put you on the bad side of the Divine.
When I say someone else’s entries, you should not let anyone write in your Book of Shadows with their personal entries. Every witch should have his or her own Book of Shadows that cannot be accessed by anyone, not even their partner.
This is YOUR account of YOUR spiritual journey. If a friend wants to write down thoughts, she or he should get her or his own Book of Shadows. This should be common sense, but you’d be surprised how boundaries can be blurred when it comes to friendships.
Pentacle BOS, Tree of Life BOS, and The Howling Wolves BOS from The Moonlight Shop
So there you have it. There is really not a lot you cannot write in your Book of Shadows. It is very easy to get it right and hard to get it wrong. If you follow these suggestions, you will be pleased in the future when you want to look back and reread your entries, just to see how much has changed in you. You will be thankful that Joanne’s dress size or how Mandy looked hideous in that dress at your cousin's wedding, or the accounting of July 2016’s bills did not make an appearance in your sacred Book of Shadows.
if i run out of room in my book of shadows (and i’m using a notebook) can i continue writing in a new notebook?
I love your site and you are a great help, thanks from a male witch from the Netherlands.
Friends, you may write whatever you please in your BOS. There are no rules, it is YOUR sacred book.
So if I don’t put any entries that are too personal, I can share my BOS with a sister witch? I just want to clarify.
Thank You 🙏
Thank you ! ❤️✨
Mahalo..aloha from hawaii
Amen and thank you x
I’m someone who experiences paranormal activity on the regular, and I have recorded the experiences in my Book of Shadows and how it made me feel, affected my energy, etc. Is this something i should steer clear from, even if the feelings are positive, or should i continue recording them?
I also keep track of my personal Tarot Card readings, keeping track of the cards I pulled and what they mean. Is this something else i should or should not put in.
All very good advice. I also don’t write personal information about others including real names associated with participation, requests, health concerns, etc. I just assume my BoS will someday pass out of my possession and not necessarily into the hands of the trustworthy.
Thank you!!
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Yup
Thank you!
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Jacob
June 12, 2022
I really appreciate this site