Wiccan Wonders: Into the Forest Once More

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When you think ‘Book of Shadows,’ what do you think of? Maybe you envision the Book of Shadows from the popular TV show Charmed. The Charmed sisters go to it for all the answers and had it passed down to them. It holds spells and information, recipes for potions and much, much more.

Although Charmed is very fictional, it does have certain things right about Wicca. The Book of Shadows used on the show is actually quite similar to a real life one. So what is a real Book of Shadows? Wiccans and some types of Pagans and Witches tend to have Books of Shadows. A Book of Shadows is a book of any type, be it a fancy book, a binder with paper, or even an e-Book of Shadows, that Wiccans (and some Pagans and Witches) use to hold information. It really is up to you what you use it for, though. Some things people include are:

What you put in a Book of Shadows is entirely up to the owner, though.

Where the term "Book of Shadows" comes from is unknown, but most Wiccans still think they are a good idea. Most will also tell you that you probably should have one. Personally, I do, although sometimes I forget about adding things to it. It’s totally okay if you don’t put everything in it, but sometimes it’s good to have a collection of things relating to your path.

By now you may be thinking about making your own… But how do you make a Book of Shadows? To start, let me first explain the most common types of Books of Shadows. There are other forms, but these are the three types that I see most:

1. First, there is the basic blank book. You can use and book or journal you think is fitting as a Book of Shadows. Maybe you have a notebook, even, that you think would work. That’s great! A Book of Shadows doesn’t need to very fancy unless you want it to be. You can decorate it as much or as little as you please. There are many stores out there that sell fancy B.O.S.’s that are leather-bound, thick, big books or maybe have a cool design on them, but you don’t have to get one like these. If you have the money, though, (they can be expensive!) they can make really great Books of Shadows.
2. My favorite type of Book of Shadows is the type I use: a binder. Binders come is all shapes and sizes, from 1" to 3" or 5"! They may be simple or the kind that have a zipper to close them and they come in all sorts of colors and designs. The one I use is a simple black one-inch binder that has a pocket on each flap. In my opinion, they are the easiest to use because the pockets can hold things, like loose papers, and you can easily add more paper or take out pages!
3. The last in my list is the online, or e-, Book of Shadows. They are becoming more popular as technology advances, although some people think they take away the "feel" a Book of Shadows should have. Personally, I think they are a great idea and make it easy for those who have frequent internet access. An e-Book of Shadows can be a website you put all your information on, a folder or document on your computer, a folder in your Favorites list online, or anything else you can think of!

There are probably other types I’m forgetting, but those are the most common choices. But there’s another question you may want to ask before creating your very own B.O.S., and that is: do you want it to be hand-written or typed? This seems to be a big issue to some people because if you have a physical B.O.S. (as opposed to an e- one), you could either write info in it by hand or print it off and put it in the book. Personally, I do both. I take info from the internet and print it off if I think my Book of Shadows could use it, but anything I write in there is hand-written. That’s one thing you could do. Some people, though, are strong in their opinion and say writing it is best or that typing is better. Mostly, the people that are very strong in their opinions are those who say you should hand-write everything. Their argument is that anything you don’t hand-write will not have as much power to it. They also tend to frown on e-Books of Shadows. It’s up to you, though, if you agree with hand-writing it all, typing up things, or doing both.

Okay, so now you have a brand new Book of Shadows. Now what? Some people aren’t sure where to start when it comes to putting information in the book. Here’s a list to help you if you’re a little stuck in the beginning:

Try to think of other ideas yourself, too. Anything you think works will work. It’s your B.O.S.; you choose what it is you keep there.

The last thing you may want to consider after you create a Book of Shadows is where you want to keep it when it’s not being used. If you’ve already come out about being Wiccan or that you are interested in Wicca, you many want to keep it on or near your altar. You can pretty much keep it anywhere that works. If you haven’t come out, though, it may be best to keep it in a place that is more out-of-sight if you are afraid someone might go looking through it. Remember that a Book of Shadows can be personal and you’re allowed to tell other people that you don’t want them going through it. Some other ideas you might consider are wrapping it in a special cloth to keep it "positive", energy-wise, or even keep it online instead to keep it more out-of-sight.