Book of Shadows ~ Pagan Blog Project ~ Week 4

Merry Meet,

Here we are, week 4 of the project and I couldn't let the opportunity pass by without doing a blog post on one of the main topics and items that began my fascination and continues to fascinate me throughout my pathway. That is, the magickal and wonderfully inspiring ~ **Book Of Shadows**

Being 23 years old, I have to be honest and say that I was introduced to the wonder of the Book of Shadows through the 3 Halliwell sisters, Prue, Piper and Phoebe from Charmed. For me these 3 normal women propelled into a life of magick represented true Goddess energy. Still today I recall how they empowered me to walk my Wiccan pathway. I remember snuggling up on the sofa on a Saturday evening awaiting eagerly my Witchy fill of the week. I'd sit in awe and watch as they flicked through the pages of the Huge Book in the attic and along with many other's around that time, dream of creating my very own version. I like many... tried... and perhaps failed. But perhaps as a 23 year old now some 10 years later I realise that I failed because I was not creating my OWN, but like many other Charmed Fans, we wanted our very own magick attic with that BOS in.

Thing is, for many years afterwards I would sit at the computer screen researching forum threads on what exactly to put in a Book of Shadows, how to make one, and magickally create one with over 300 pages in! Yes, Patience is not my strong point.

We'd discuss after school on forums how we could use a hardback book and sort of create a mini scrapbook, and this appealled to many of us, some of us tried it and stuck with it, perhaps since creating many more in the same way, yet some, like me, decided we didn't like the disorganisation of it all. So we opted then for the biggest and thickest ring binder we could find, preferably black in colour and we'd attempt to draw the famous Triquetta on the cover.

This method worked for me for a short while, but not being much of a calligraphist, I decided I wanted it to be perfect looking. I then opted to spend hours typing on the computer getting the font's right. But again decided, this simply wasn't me.

And now, at 23 years old I am still without a permanent Book of Shadows.... or even a Book of Elfin... I simply work my magickal witch pathway like those of the old days, by sheer memory.

Although re-visiting this topic has now, of course inspired me to go and try to create a book of shadows in some way of another. I actually feel it is very important for me to create one of these now as my pathway expands and I find myself in a position where people visit me *virtually* for advise just like those of old, visiting the wise woman of the village.

I plan to add photographs of altar's I have had and will have in the years to come, and to include photos of my garden marking out the herbs and their many uses. Along with the details of my Handfasting to my marvellous man,

I also plan to include book reviews for perhaps my children so that when and if the times comes for them to view my book of shadows, they can find out more about their witchy mother whom handfasted an Italian Catholic born man, and the books she read would no doubt open their eyes to just what a hedgewitch she really was.... even if at times she didn't know her Rue from her Hyssop.

***

So what can you include in your Book of Shadows?

Anything and everything.

Perhaps a dedication to the God & Goddess / Lord & Lady

Details of your self initiation (if you're a Solitary like myself)

Photo's and information of your altars

Crystals & their uses

Herbal Magick

Petition Magick

Colours

Animal Totems you've experienced

Dream Diary

Book of Elfin (detailing your faerie pathway)

Goddess Research

God Research

Astral Travel

Mediumship

Spiritualism

Fears and how you overcame them

Acheivements & Successes

and of course, no Book of Shadows would be a BOS without your very own collection of Spells.

So go forth and create you're Book of Shadows with pride and wonder. Capture that inner child that can imagine discovering this Book of Shadows.... what would you like to see when you open it? What would you like to learn about your ancestors?

Let your Inner Goddes/Inner God be your guide!

Brightest Blessings,

Aurora )O(

All written content on this blog is the work of © Aurora Brierley, The Faerie Whisperer & The Witch Inside. No written contents of this blog may be reproduced in any way (in part or in entirety) without the express written permission of the author, © Aurora Brierley, The Faerie Whisperer & The Witch Inside.