Creating a Book of Shadows

Charles Leland believed that Italian witches penned their own books from family secrets.  In Aradia, he writes that his tour guide Maddalena related this information.  In the modern day solitary witches compose their own "Book of Shadows," long term attempts to organize their collection of spells, prayers, rituals and sacred stories. It's a difficult task, unless you have a firm outline in place.  My own teacher has encouraged me to assemble a Book based on the rituals and magical materials contained in her syllabus (which I keep private).  While I'm not at liberty to reveal the designs for my own family book., I'd like to present a framework those of you interested in stregheria, folk magic and traditional folk magic can learn from.

0.  A dedication or title page. Every Book of Shadows needs to be filled with personalized power.  This is why it is preferential to hand write their final form.  And what better way than to have it personalized?  Give it a name, if you must.  Keep a picture of a mentor, your ancestors, your patron spirit on the first page. 

1.  A table of contents.  Every journey needs a map.  This will help you craft your project in the early days and find your way when you're searching for resources before a spell or ritual. 

2.  A collection of essays on the framework of your spells or traditions.  This can be as small as a few paragraphs or as long as three chapters.  Do you work with a magical Catholic framework? Create a few essays on the world of the saints and angels.  Lay out the rules for your rituals.  Are you a Neo-Pagan?  Explain, in detail, the paradigm of your tradition.  What spirits do you work with?  Do you call them God and Goddess?  Have you been influenced by Vodou, Santeria, Arthurian legend?  Write it all here.

3.  Describe your own important myths, historical or religious stories.  Do you believe the universe was started by the Big Bang?  Describe it here.  Do you believe we are all emanations of the consciousness that created the universe?  Explain why.  Any creations stories, family histories or religious doctrine that's important to your practice belongs here.

4.  Relevant laws.  Do you believe in karma or the Rule of Three?  Do you take the Ten Commandments seriously?  Does "Do what thou will shall be the whole of the law" make sense to you? This is the place the inscribe the laws of your personal universe.

5.  A table of correspondences and a list of personal symbols.  Do  the planets impact your work?  Do you believe that the sun in symbolized by gold and the spirits Ra or Helios?  This is a good place for reference.  Do you have any symbols like the cross, the Star of David or the Hand of Miriam that are important to your spell work?  Describe them here.

6.  Create a catalogue of your botanical and mineral allies.  Any stones, herbs or plants that are important to you belong here.  Also create a section describing their uses, contraindications and correspondences. 

7.  Describe any tools that are relevant to your tradition.  Do you work with household silverware?  Do you have any instruments that help you with your most important rituals?  Describe them here.  It will be a good place to come back to. 

8.  A collection of spells.  These won't be the only ones you'll ever work with, but they will be the ones that are most important to you.  You can always leave space to include more later.  If it makes sense to you, try to break them up by intended purposes: spells for money, finances, protection, attraction, etc. 

9.  Write a collection of essays on divination, particularly the methods you use.  Do you scry?  Do you read palms? Is there a system of omens you look for in the natural world?  Do you read Holy Cards?  Describe your methods of divination here.

10.  Catalogue the rituals important to your practice or tradition.  Do you have a method to detect and remove the Evil Eye?  Are there any rituals you practice on the solar holidays?  Do you dedicate your tools and statues?  Did your teacher give you any rituals to use for protection?  This is where you will include them.

11.  Catalogue your most important prayers.  Do you work with a magical Catholic framework and recite regular novenas?  This is the place to include them.  Do you have any specific prayers to your pantheon?  This is where you will read them.


In the meantime: The following exercises will help you build momentum and organize your sections. 

• Keep a journal.  We all need to record our experiences.  This will help you keep a record of your project.
• Create a series of magical notebooks.  I have a few notebooks where I pen down rituals and spells, as well as herb lore.  It's important to keep them separate so you can reference them quicker.  It will also help you organize your Book of Shadows when it's ready. 
• You can also keep folders on your computer in place of the above recommendations.  It's easier to catalogue, but you will want to get in the habit of hand-writing your work to prepare for the final product. 

 If anyone has any tips they'd like include, I'd very much like to see them in the comments section below.  I wouldn't be opposed to any questions or observation, either. Thanks for sharing!