There are a few rules for Witches regarding The Book of Shadows. One can only write into the journal. None of the information may be deleted from it. In the event of a witch’s death, the Book of Shadows may be handed over to her children or grand-children of kept in the Coven’s treasury depending on the wishes of the owner of the book.

The tradition of writing this book is believed to have started with Gerald Gardner, who considered it his personal cookbook of spells. His own Book of Shadows contained recipes for magickal potions, methods of creating talismans and charms, advice for witches who were brought to trial, his experiments with herbs, etc.

In modern times, this book is not copied word for word from the one who initiates a person into witchcraft. Instead, this book is as assimilation of all the experiences a person following the Craft goes through, as they slowly get accustomed to the magickal environment. It is good to have a daily journal of our successes and powerful thoughts as well as the disappointments and difficulties when preparing altars, casting circles, creating spells, etc.

As a witch grows, so will this Book of Knowledge. Some witches create and update this book on the internet, in electronic form, rather than a hand written document. Also, recently, some Wiccans have related their experiences through regularly updated Website Blogs.

Some Wiccans keep two separate “Book of Shadows”. One that has copy of the core rituals that have been around for centuries and the other for adding new material learned from others in the same Coven.

As we can see, the Book of Shadows is a very personal and powerful book that contains a lot of useful information that chronicle our spiritual adventures in search of the ultimate Truth and Meaning of Life.

Blessed Be!

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