A book of shadows is an essential tool for every wiccan. A book of shadows is a sacred book you make yourself to hold all of your spells, research, rituals, and philosophy. Writing a book of shadows can seem like a very overwhelming task. Your book of shadows is very sacred and very personal. Inside you should put information that you will actually use, and you should make it very personal.
There are many ways to write a book of shadows, and many things you can place inside it. There are however a few things that are universal that I suggest every wiccan should have. These include laws of your coven or tradition. For a solitary wiccan this will be things like your wiccan rede, and principles of belief. You should also include a dedication ceremony. A list of gods and goddesses that you will be working with is a very useful tool to add. Sabbat rituals and the wheel of the year should also be included. A list of herbs and magical recipes is a standard in most book of shadows.
When I created my book of shadows I actually made 2 of them. One book is to hold all my research and general information, such as colors, herbs, sabbats, god and goddesses, and all other general information. The second book of shadows hold all of my rituals, spells, and interpretations of tarot readings. Having 2 books works best for me. I suggest using whichever method will work best for you.
There is much debate in the wiccan community on wether or not the book should be hand written or if it can be done on a computer. It is generally accepted that a hand written book of shadows will be more powerful, since you infuse it with your energy and power. However, it is often more convenient to do it on a computer. I use both methods for mine. I use the computer for my book containing research, and I hand write the book containing spells. Do whichever one will work best for you.
A hand written book of shadows does not have to be fancy or expensive. When I first began many years ago I used a notebook. Over the years I have gone through many book of shadows. I have invested in expensive journals, and have enjoyed them, but it can be expensive to do. Many wiccans use 3 ring binders, so they are able to add pages, remove pages, and rearrange pages in their book. You should spend some time and figure out which method will work best for you.
Finding information for your book of shadows can seem very overwhelming. I have spent many hours searching the Internet, and have found thousands of pages of useful information. You can also look through beginner wiccan books. I will suggest Living Wicca- A guide for the solitary practitioner by Scott Cunningham. It contains some amazing and very useful information. I still refer to this book often. It has a wonderful section on writing your book of shadows. Remember the Internet is one of the best tools for information to put in your book.
The most important thing about writing your book is to make it personal and sacred. You will be using this book often, and it is a very useful and sacred tool
Blessed Be
