Hi there! I'm starting a new Book of Shadows, but I'm wondering what you guys have for yours. Like the format, the way you've done it, tips on organizing it, etc!
I've seen a lot on youtube and around the .net, but I don't think I've seen anyone's here.
Would be nice if anyone gave me some do's and don'ts' so I don't make mistakes!
In my big BOS I have a section for spells and rituals, a section on magic alphabets and other correspondences, a list of tools I use, a write up on what the gods mean to me and some things I have notes on, like palmistry and bone throwing.
I also have a traveling BOS which has chants, prayers and curses in it. It's pretty easy to pull out what I need and read it off instead of carrying around this thick 3 inch binder, LOL.
Scott Cunningham's 'Living Wicca' has some good ideas in it about how to set up a BOS.
If you use a spell or notes frequently, putting your sheets in sheet protectors can be of help. They certainly helped me! They might make the BOS a little heavier if you use a lot of page protectors but they're worth it if you like spells easy to read and want them protected from wax and soot.
Well my first one I ever made was strictly spells. Half the book was 'white magick' and the other half was 'black magick' and it's a silly BoS in my opinion, but I still have some working spells I use a lot, and I like flipping through it for a chuckle. I did a lot of sketches and I coloured the pages with wax crayon to give it a different look. Oh, and I also wrote a dedication to the Gods on the very first page.
My second was a Dragon Grimoir I made while studying Dragon Magick. It's got sketches again, but the pages are numbered and I have a table of contents.
My third one is currently just rituals but I am planning on adding a lot more to it. I drew pictures again and a wheel of the year on the first page. Each holiday I wrote a brief history/description, along with herbs, activities and symbols of the holiday, plus some recipes to make around that time before writing a group ritual. [I might add a quick solitary for each at the back, but my solitaries are usually ad libbed.
And then I have several notebooks not actually Books of Shadow but could technically be called something like that, like my meditation or dream journals, or my notebook when I do spells or rituals and I observe something. Do what you feel is best, it's your book after all, you can't really go wrong, put in the information you want and ignore the stuff you don't. A table of contents keeps everything neat, if you go that route I suggest leaving 5 pages blank at the front and fill it in when you're done. [Also a dedication to the Gods is nice] you might consider a three ring binder so you can add/remove pages, but you don't have to, I've never had one. Good luck to you.
I have been very, very bad at starting a grimoire and staying focused on finishing it in the past. I used to hate the chaotic, unorganized way of not planning it out. I tried a three-ringed binder at one point to try to organize it, but it felt so material to me and "unconnected" to me.
Recently, the fact that my husband and I are discussing having children soon sort of finally motivated me enough to start a "family grimoire." I found a nice leather journal with worn, unlined pages and I've just been recording bits and pieces here or there. Contrary to my early experiences with not planning the content, I'm feeling very happy with this one. I've actually recorded more in it than in any of my previous ones. I have plans of possibly doing specific ones for specific content at some point (in my head, for my children one day).
As for dos or don'ts, I'd say don't overthink it and stress yourself out. It's your BOS. It's personal to you. Don't hold yours to a store-bought grimoire or someone else. Also, if you're really concerned about organization, you can make an index in the back or a table of contents in the front. It's completely up to you.
Your book of shadows is just that, yours. You can do whatever you want. Who knows? In a few years, you may want to totally redo it.
My first ever book of shadows was a large hardcover artbook that I taped moon phases inside the rear cover, the wheel of the year as well. My personal creed along with the Wiccan creed was in the front. Spells where in the front as well, flowing into herbs, and what little gem knowledge I had at the time.
