How to make a Book of Shadows

When people hear the word Book of Shadows they either think the TV Show Charmed  or the movie the Craft

These are TV shows and movies  not based on real life witchcraft   

So What is a Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious texts and instructions for magical rituals and spells  found within the Pagan/ Wiccan religions  and certain sects of  other religions such as Voodoo/ Hoodoo also have a book of Shadows     Basicly the Book of Shadows is a  Magickal  Journal or Diary 

Centuries ago our Ancestors  left information like this to the Druids or High Priestess or High Priestess
as  Information was power and you did not want the wrong spell or Ritual to fall in the wrong hands 
plus not everyone knew how to read and Write

after the Abraham Religions took over many libraries and books were destroyed in an attempt to exterminate the knowledge of the Wisdom of the Ancients from the world

many Pagans who refused to convert to the new  Abraham Religion were forced to keep the Traditions and Rituals alive by writing in Code or keeping it hidden   for possessing knowledge meant Death during the Abraham Religions Rampages  in an attempt to wipe out Paganism from the world  

People would be Tortured  and killed  for possessing such knowledge 
Even Today  Witches are still burned in parts of the world for simply  worshipping his or her own religious beliefs 


With Paganism and Wicca Growing Rapidly Ever more Popular   it is important we document  Rituals and spells  not just so we do not forget but for all Generations   to continue  to spread education and knowledge to the world and share the love of the Goddess and Gods and the Wisdom of the Ancients 

Depending on your Path or  Rules of your Coven which vary by type of  Pagan/ Wiccan Pantheon you follow  have rules on Books of Shadows   some have Strict rules on Book of Shadows information
while others do not here is a breakdown  types of Pantheons / Paths

Witchcraft
In a broad context,  Wicca and Witchcraft are NOT the same.
 Wicca is a type of witchcraft, not witchcraft itself not all Witches are Wiccans 


Gardnerian Wicca ,Alexandrian Wicca ,Georgian Wicca:,Celtic Wicca: Rules and Traditions vary 

Caledonii
Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition,

Strega Witch

Ceremonial Witchcraft
Followers of this Tradition uses a great deal of ceremonial magick in their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavor of Egyptian magick are sometimes a favorite, or they may use the Qabbalistic magick



Hereditary Witch
One who can trace the Craft through their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was living at the same time. Channeling doesn't count. How far one has to go back on the family tree to meet the conditions of the first part of this definition is debatable. Family Trades (another name for Hereditary Witches) occasionally adopt individuals into their dynasty. This decision is never a light one, and usually stems from the lack of offspring to carry on the line, or the high regard they hold for the person in question. The ceremony is intricate and important. After all, it is not every day you can pick your relatives! It is much like the marriage of an individual into a family.

Hinduism/Tantra, 
which is often considered a left hand path within Hinduism
Rituals are very involved and Very Sexual in nature  
while Hinduism is separate from Paganism is is a Type of Pagan Religion
which is the belief of multiple Gods and Goddess  some Hindu worshipers do not accept the Tantra path


Kitchen Witch
You will hear this term every once in a while. Basically, this type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the practical side of religion, magick, the earth and the elements. There are some who groan loudly at this type of terminology, viewing it as degrading or simply inappropriate. Just remember that the Old Religion started somewhere, and most likely the kitchen (or cookfire) was the hub of many charms, spells, healings, and celebrations. After all, where does everyone congregate during the holidays? Grandma's kitchen has always produced magickal memories for humanity; visions of Mother making that something special for a sick child still holds true today for many of us.

Pictish Witchcraft
Scottish Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature; animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary from of the Craft and mainly magickal in nature

Crafty Witch
a Crafty Witch is a Witch who puts a magical element into arts and crafts such as painting or poetry or crocheting or any Craft making 
such as putting symbols or runes or hidden words in a craft  or hidden messages or hidden pictures  


Solitary Witch /Eclectic 
 pulling from many different pagan paths, a sort of “melting pot” of paganism;
One who practices alone, regardless of Tradition, denomination  or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some were at one time initiated into a coven and eventually chose to extricate themselves from that environment and continue practicing a particular Tradition or sect by themselves. A solitary can also be an individual who has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven structure, but still may adhere to a specific Tradition or sect through the teachings of another. And finally, a solitary Witch can be a person who has decided to tough it out on their own, learning from books, networking, and fellow Witches of different Traditions. These people have the ability to pick themselves up and brush themselves off, and live to try again. More and more individuals are selecting the solitary path rather than that of group interaction.
most Solitary/ Eclectic Witches  follow or Combine  Celtic, Welsh, Gaelic, Asastru/ Odinism/ Heathenry, Druidism, Hellenic ( Ancient Greek),Kemetic ( Ancient Egyptian ),Graeco-Roman,Sumerian/babylonian Paganism,Armenian paganism,Baltic paganism,Celtic polytheism,Finnic paganism,Germanic paganism
Slavic paganism,Vainakh paganism, Hinduism Shintoism , Haitian Vodou, Espiritu , Buddhism, Native American Beliefs also called Red Paganism South american Paganism and Taoism.

Modern Native American Reconstructionists 

is a revival of the original Native American religions. 

they follow the ancient ways of living and honoring the Gods , Goddess and Spirits 

and Ceremonies and Rituals  of the Native American Path 

Teutonic Witch
From ancient time the Teutons have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages. Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish peoples. This is also known as the Nordic Tradition.



Shamanism
A revival of older shamanic beliefs and traditions, or (a lot of the time) an amalgamation of New Age spiritual-beliefs.

There are others I may have missed   if I have I apologize tell me which one and I will add it to the list


okay so now lets get started on the Book of Shadows
Your book of Shadows is for Rituals and Spells and  knowledge on Herbs, Homeopathic Remedies
 like a magical personal diary so you can custom design it to your own needs

Let's face it, not everyone can afford $300 for a custom-made Book of Shadows, or a one-of-a-kind silk robe. But having to work within a budget doesn't have to cause problems, and it certainly doesn't mean your a 'bad Pagan / Wiccan or Witch'. 

Being spiritual itself doesn't cost anything, so it's likely that most financial constraints will come into play when you're getting supplies or tools for your altar. So that's where I'm going to focus my suggestions. 

Nothing wrong with homemade - You'd be surprised how many tools or supplies you can craft all by yourself. A little bit of elbow-grease and some creativity can go a long way. Besides, any tool that you've put your own energy into will be better than store-bought. 

Learn to adapt - Don't get in a rut, thinking that your tools have to be certain things. What matters is how you view them. Here are a few examples: 

Book of Shadows - Your BoS doesn't need to be a leather-bound tome with brass clasps and parchment paper. Make do with any blank notebook (hard covered sketchbooks are quite nice). If you want to be able to move pages around, stick with a plain 3-ring binder. 

Book of Shadows is called BOS for Short   

You will need:
- a notebook/Hardcover book/Binder/Folder etc.
- a special pen or quill, only used to write in your BoS and Mirror Journal.
- Decorations (Optional).
- Bookmark (Optional).
- Leather cover (optional)

Step 1 - Your Book of Shadows  
Step 1a: Go find yourself a nice notebook or such!

Step 2 - Finding your special pen or Quill:
Remember my Quill Pen Blog  you might want to dedicate time to making magical quills for writing
in your Book of Shadows 

Click the picture to go to that blog

Your special pen/Quill will only be used to write in your BoS 
Step 2a: Choose a pen/quill that you love writing with, is comfortable and fancy!
Step 2b: Decorate it with runes and symbols, if you'd please.

Step 3 - Decorating your BoS & your bookmark:
If you don't wish to do so, skip to step 4.
You're allowed to decorate you BoS however you want! Just keep it traditional; Don't add stickers of kittens or something O_O... Runes , Symbols ,Sigils things of a magikal nature are Fine
Drawings and art of the Goddess pictures of Goddess and Gods and nature and animals are fine also
putting anything of a magickal 
and yes you may have more than one   I have ten books of Shadows
A lot of Wiccans write on the cover "The Book Of Shadows of -Your Name-."

Step 4 - Finally Getting Started:
Step 4a: First think of the contents. What do you want to add in your BoS?
Some quick suggestions:
- Something about you
- An opening dedication to your Goddess/God 
- Wiccan Rede or Pagan Rede etc 
- Wiccan Law  or Rules you follow 
- Three-Fold Law (etc etc)
- Dedication
- Table of Contents 
- Wicca Studies 
- Rules
- Beliefs
- Family Tree
- Friends
- Rituals 
- Spells 
- Recipes 
- Potions
- Poems
- Chants
- About herbs and trees and such
- Lunar calendar
- Celtic Calendar

The About You Section should look something like this:
Name: DAW
Nickname: DAW
Better Known As: DAW
Magick Name: Luna DAW
Magick Nickname: DAW
Haircolour: Black
Eyecolour: Blue 
Specialty: Almost Everything.
Date Of Birth: 
Place Of Birth: 
Country Of Origin: 
Current Residence: 
Nationality: 
Other info:

Step 4b: You can make a table of Contents:
- File by topic
- Alphabetize by subject
- Chronological
- Chapters


Step 4c: Think about the language you want to write it in.
You can also do it in your own language.


Step 5 - The End:
Well, I think that this is enough to get you started, no?
If you have any questions left, please comment!







This is a Mini Book of Shadows   this one can be worn as a Necklace or Decoration for your Altar like a Fairy Altar

What you'll need:
Small piece of scrap Leather, the more wrinkled and aged the better
Small scrap of Cardboard (Hard back of a notebook would do fine)
1 piece of printer paper
Scrap of decorative Paper
1 O Ring
Gold Sharpie Pen (permanent marker)
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Bull Dog clip/Bag clip
Needle (to punch a hole)
Yellow Pages (to lean on)

1. Take one piece of printer paper (A4 if you're in the UK) cut it into 1 inch slices along the width of the paper. Divide the paper up into 5 smaller pieces which should measure roughly 1& 3/4 inches  across. I used N.American sized paper which I know is different to A4 so you'll have to play around with the sizes. Make a big pile of these rectangles then fold them in half and squeeze them with a bag clip/bulldog clip. All of the folded 'spines' should be facing the same side and that side should be poking out of the clip.

2. From Cardboard cut 2 rectangles, 7/8ths of an inch by 1 1/4 inches, these will be the front and back of the book,the spine should measure roughly 5/8's by 1 1/4 inches. 

 3. Then tape them across the back leaving a hairs gap between the separate pieces, painters tape would be best but I used what I had.

4. If you left enough gap you should be able to fold the cardboard into a book shape.

5. Taking a scrap of decorative paper, draw around the book cover, depending on how large a gap you left the measurement for this will vary. Add Double sided tape to the decorative paper and stick to the book cover, either side is fine.

6. Fold the book to give you a less flat book cover. 

7. With a hot glue gun stick the wedge of papers folded 'spine' side down into the centre of the book cover, don't be scared to use a great big glob of hot glue, more is more in this case. Push down gently to make sure all the pages adhered nicely.

 8. Give it a little squish if you want your book to sit more closed, don't if you want an open looking book.

9. With Hot glue again take a scrap of leather and stick the outside of the book cover to it, you can trim round it once it's stuck, don't worry too much about the Leather looking rough or feathered at the edges, it's meant to look old right?

10. Now for the fun bit, I used a Sharpie in Gold with a fine tip and made a rough edge of Gold around the outside of the book cover.then smudged it with my finger to age it a little.

 11. To give the spine more definition take the Gold pen make a rough line and smudge it gently then add some small Gold dots, smudging again if it looks too crisp. 

 12. Punch a hole through the cover preferably with a needle and leaning on a Yello pages, making sure you also go through the cardboard add an O ring then put one or two on a chain, and wear them.

other ideas   to help you out 

Athame - So what if a traditional athame is double-edged with a black handle? Any knife will do, or you could even use an attractive letter opener as a sacred blade. or make one yourself i have how in the do it yourself projects 

Cauldron - It can be tough to find a typical three-legged, cast-iron cauldron, and you'll likely pay top-dollar at a Pagan shop to get one. Any heavy, fire-proof dish or bowl can be used as a cauldron. 

The bottom line: it's the thought that counts. What's in your heart is more important than the price tag. Don't feel badly that you can't afford certain items. That guilt will get in your way much more than anything else. 

Think about it do you think our Ancestors had Expensive Items for the craft? No of course not so why spend top dollar on them when you can make do with whatever you can use 

Thrift stores , Yard Sales , Flea markets , dollar stores , Garden stores all have Cheap items that can be easily turned into anything you need 

Also Nature gives you Twigs and sticks and Rocks and Seashells and Sea Glass and Sand and Feathers Herbs and anything you need 

just be a Crafty  Witch