Book Of Shadows

Before we get into the details, I want to let everyone know, right now, that a Book Of Shadows is NOT what Hollywood makes it out to be. In fact, the closest Hollywood even got to portraying the Book Of Shadows properly was in the movie Practical Magic. Outside of that....not so much.  Why do I say that? Because what the general population does not seem to understand is that a Book Of Shadows is nothing more than a really detailed, ornate RECIPE BOOK. Right. It's like the alternative version of Betty Crocker's cook book - and a LOT more detailed!  Here's why: 90% of the people that follow/live an alternative life style (and by that, I mean Wicca/Pagan/Crafter), are naturalists, herbalists, homeopaths and apothecaries. And, usually, all of those at the same time. Yes, they are. The word 'spell' is not used as some hocus pocus incantation that is spoken to try and turn your worst enemy into a frog or a lizard. The word 'spell' is used in the same way traditional folks use the word 'recipe'. OK, so now that we understand these two aspects, remember - the Book Of Shadows is the recipe book, that holds recipes, which are called 'spells'.

    This is where a lot of questions usually pop up in my conversations pertaining to this particular aspect of an alternative belief system. One of the most popular questions is: "How come these books are so large, ornate and filled with decorative pages? Why can't you just put these things onto regular recipe cards that are more compact and easy to store and carry?" Answer: Because there are so many different species of plants, animals and minerals that if we were to put these things on recipe cards, one spell would take up at least 20 cards. It's actually not that 'compact' for us. Also, when someone starts a Book Of Shadows, the entire idea behind this is more of an educational system, rather than just some cook book that you throw on a book shelf until you need to make a casserole. Here's a little fact that some people might find interesting: Wiccans, Pagans and Crafters actually DO use 'regular' cook books. Well, after all, we do have to eat at some point. Last time I checked, humans can not survive on tea and broth alone. We actually do need nourishment throughout the day. People make family tree books, family history books and other such hand me down type books (scrap books, photo albums, etc.). So, think of a Book Of Shadows as being a combination of a type of home made scrap book, and a home made cook book. That's probably the best way to accurately describe this.

Most people that make these ornate books do so with the sole purpose of keeping it for an extremely long time - long after they have left this world. Just as someone might pass a photo album, scrap book or a special cook book down to their next of kin, so to is a Book Of Shadows designed for the very same thing. There are some die-hard modern practitioners that will tell you that under no circumstances should a Book of Shadows be handed down to anyone else, ever, at all. Upon that person's death, this book must be cremated along with the person (or, burned beyond reading ability). This is where the 'confusion' comes in for people who do not follow an alternative belief system. To some practitioners, their particular Book Of Shadows is more like a diary. Something very private, never to be seen by prying eyes. For the general populous of practitioners, that's simply not the case. In my case, as an example, my Book Of Shadows is made with the absolute intent on handing it down to my daughter, and then my granddaughter....and hopefully her daughter. Or, son(s), as the case may be.  Pages within a Book Of Shadows will also contain information that is not necessarily in the lay out of a recipe. For example, you may see a page that is made up of nothing but the Runic Alphabet. Another page might contain an image of the Vitruvian Man, along with the notations from Da Vinci regarding that particular sketch. Yet, another page may be nothing but a piece of art work. A drawing, sketch, dried flower arrangement, a photograph...whatever.

    Some of us make our own paper for our books. An example is shown to the right. The person has taken the edging of this book and given the 'burnt aged' look to it, and then used the top and bottom edges as a base for a lovely piece of art in the form of a tree. Trees are very important to those who follow these types of belief systems. The represent many things, and are also providers of food, shelter and sometimes clothing. So trees will likely be found in almost every Book Of Shadows you may ever set your eyes on. Another thing you may see repeated in a Book Of Shadows is a pentagram. This is not to be confused with the Hexagram (a 6 sided star), which can also be found in many Book Of Shadow entries. The Pentagram represents the elements, and the universe. The Hexagram is an ancient representation of man and woman. For Christians, this is known as the Star Of David. In the world of Zen, this duality is shown as a Yin-Yang symbol. Different cultures, different symbols, all are true.
The pentagram is often used to denote elements that may be used in a spell. For example, if water is needed, you may see a pentagram with the water element highlighted (or noted) on that drawing. If something needs to be air dried (say, an herb) prior to use, you may see a pentagram with the air element highlighted (or noted). Think of that notation as the abbreviation for measurements in a traditional recipe book. For example: Cup = C, Liter = l, Teaspoon - tsp., and so forth.

Latin, Greek, Gaelic and Runic words are also something you will often see. This is not to confuse any one who may see the book. It's simply the way the writer of the book wishes it to be written, because it is easier for that person to read the contents, and continue adding to the contents. There is no ill intent behind this at all. An example of this might be seen when it comes to plants. Many people use the scientific names for plants, instead of the common names. For example: Lavendula. In layman's terms, that's what everyone calls "Lavender". Another word you may see is 'terra'. This is the word for 'earth'. Terra Firma, literally translated, means 'solid earth' or 'solid ground'. Inside a Book Of Shadows you will find recipes for everything from teas to tinctures and back again. Salves, creams, potions, powders, spice mixtures, candle making, incense making, smudge sticks and even cosmetics can be found in a Book Of Shadows. Sometimes, there will be little writings or stories, notations or references in the pages of these books. Other times, it will be very plain. Idealy, a Book Of Shadows should be a physical representation of the person who writes this. It is not a book that can be purchased already made. You can purchase blank books that will eventually become your Book Of Shadows, but a pre-made one can never be purchased, with the exception of antique shoppes. Even then, it's extremely rare to find these.

     When you hear someone talking about their 'BOS', they're talking about their Book Of Shadows. It's not a bad thing. It's not an evil thing. There are no incantations for turning people into mud monsters, nor does this book contain recipes called 'How To Make Your Own Ogre'.  It's nothing more than a really ornate, highly decorated, very detailed cook book. Serioiusly, that's all it is. Nothing is going to jump off the pages at you. If you open the book, you're not going to be opening a time rift. Looking at the images will not give you nightmares for the rest of your life, and if you actually try a spell, I promise you, you will not end up with the boogie man under your bed, bats in your belfry or skeletons in your closet. You will not be haunted by the ghost of Christmas past, and you certainly will never have the Grim Reaper standing over your bed, holding a scythe, telling you that "You're next". Nope. Not going to happen. However, you might actually end up creating a really nice chicken spice  blend to put in your chicken noodle soup, or end up making a very beautiful candle. It's also possible that you might actually learn how to properly sow, grow and reap some amazing Lavender. Go figure. After all the Hollywood hype, that creepy old Book Of Shadows turns out to be a recipe book. Amazing. And here we all thought that opening one would be akin to opening a Hell rift, where goblins pop out and scare everyone half to death.