What To Put In Your Book Of Shadows

A book of shadows (BOS), being a newer, yet very useful tool. Similar to a grimoire, a BOS is a book where you will keep your magick spells. However, a BOS is more like a journal than a book of spells. In your book, you’ll have your successes your failures your ideas, how you feel about certain things, its a record book of your magick.

Even though it seems pretty straight forward, many people will have no idea what to put in their book. It’s also pretty common to just be scared to write in your BOS. but I’m here to tell you what to put in your book of shadows and to tell you that it’s okay…just write in it, it’s not the end of the world if you write something you don’t like. Because a year or two down the road you’re gonna look back and you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come.

So, let’s look at what to put in your book of shadows. (I’m sure you’ve heard some of them before)

A Moon Schedule:

Keeping a schedule or chart of the upcoming full moons for the year and/ or any other moon phase you might want to keep track of. As well as the properties of the different moon phases.

The Full Moons of the Year: 

All full moons of the year, being: Wolf, Snow, Worm, Pink, Flower, Strawberry, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn, Hunter, Beaver, and Cold moons respectively (though they all have multiple names). As well as the properties those moons hold.

Information on your Deity(s):

There can be a lot of information to keep track of about a deity, especially if you have multiple deities or an entire pantheon. Information like their creation or birth stories, symbols, feats, preferred sacrifices, ideals, what the deity is a deity of (as many deities have a variety of things they rule over), artifacts they might have, and so many other things (if you care that much granted) and it can just be handy to have that information right in your book all sorted out and compiled.

Herbs

Whether it be for their medical properties, their magickal properties, or both, maybe a certain tea mixture, your own smudge stick components, etc.

New spell ideas

Now you don’t have to create the spell then and there and but you can get a good concept written down and come back to it later when you feel like it. But writing it down in a safe place where you know it won’t get lost is far better than writing it on some slip of paper you’re going to lose, or not writing it down at all, and forgetting you even had the idea.

Types of witchcraft you wish to study

Even if you only plan on studying one type of witchcraft, its still good to write down what the common practices are of that craft. Especially so you have a reference guide to look back at. 

Spiritual beings you may encounter

Whether it be through meditation, mediumship, or what have you. Write down your encounters with the other worlds,  maybe you’ll make a friend or companion along the way.

Useful Tips and tidbits of information 

Maybe not something that requires a whole lot of writing but still something you would still like to write down and keep track of. And you can write this down wherever you have some blank space you’re not using.

Spells and Creations  

Last on this list is any spells or magickal creation that you’ll make. this way you’ll have a record book of all the unique magickal working that you do, how you did them, and what you used to do them. Anything from a  simple spell to a complex spell jar, any type of magic that you create should be kept in your book. 

No matter what is kept in your book of shadows, it is important to keep a record of your magickal workings. To look back on them and reflect. To see how far you’ve grown. To remember things you might have forgotten, and to learn from your mistakes.   

 So get started on your book of shadows, you’ll thank yourself later.