Little Black Book

There’s been so much I’ve been learning lately - new and wonderful traditions, seasonal celebrations, songs, rhymes, facts and myths - aside from this blog, how am I supposed to keep track of it all? Many Wiccan traditions call for a Book of Shadows for either personal or group use. A BOS is much like a journal, but instead of just writing down thoughts and feelings, you record important dreams, rituals, spells and other relevant information. You can put down things like recipes for celebration meals, different teas you drink and how you react to them, botanical information, and astrological charts. Whatever you might deem as important to your path gets recorded. It’s a very personal book, though when shared among a group or coven, it incorporates input from everyone. Wiccans aren’t the only ones that do this - having a book for keeping track of your spiritual growth is a habit encouraged in many paths.

Your book might look like this 

 

Or it could be as simple as this

It’s a very unique process for every person - though the information held inside might be similar, the arrangement and reasons for having each item is completely personal.
Some people keep different books for different subjects (Tarot readings, dreams, herbal information, etc) or may keep everything together in one book. Many people choose to use a binder, so that pages can be moved around or outright removed for easier editing and organization.

Being that I don’t follow what I would call a Wiccan path, I choose to call my personal record a ‘Grimoire.’

Taken from wikipedia is this excellent definition:

“A grimoire (pronounced /grim'war/) is a textbook of magic.”

I think that sums up what I’m creating rather well. It’s a special book where I’ll be putting down important charts, diagrams and information that I may need to reference later, or just find important. I arrange it so that every page notes the information I find most valuable on a given subject, and make it so that others would be able to learn from it as well. Still, I wouldn’t say this is going to be anything on the scale of such famous grimoires such as the Necronomicon (Fictional) or the Munich Handbook (Real, 15th century).

I went the route of the more expected appearance of a ‘magic book’ - a leather cover with a bronze colored swivel clasp.

However, I chose this appearance so that every time I see and handle it I am reminded of its purpose - holding serious spiritual information. The leather is just a fancy book cover. The book inside is just one of those blank, unlined journals one can pick up at just about any major bookstore. It can be replaced if I fill it or if I decide to start over with a new one. My grimoire may not have the names of a hundred angels and demons in it, or how to conjure a familiar, or how to astral project - but it does hold my beliefs, complex tarot spreads, how to read the weather based on different clouds - all sorts of stuff.
I put a lot of work into writing down and decorating every page so that every lesson is better learned - and while it is a personal experience, I’m pretty open about letting other people take a look at it too. After all - the same way someone of any other faith might share the Torah, the Quran or the Bible, if I think someone can benefit from the information in my own spiritual book, I don’t see the harm in letting them read it. As I continue learning, I’ll keep putting things in the book.

And I plan on putting in much more.