Book of Shadows: The Fourth Incarnation

[Anonymous]

For quite a while I wasn't focussing too much on my spirituality and magic. Recently I started working on my newest Book of Shadows. If you find my story too long-winded (and I wouldn't be surprised), skip down to the section called 'Fourth incarnation'.

First incarnation

When I first started on this path, my Book of Shadows consisted of bits and pieces I'd downloaded off the internet. Essentially, it was a collection of printouts of other people's ideas. After studying as much information as possible, I started adding my own ideas to the Book of Shadows. I actually added the sheets to plastic wallets and bound them in a ring binder. This was the first incarnation of my Book of Shadows.

Second incarnation

After a while, I'd started to think for myself a lot more. Some of the people who've been on this site for years might remember when I started 'Lonebull's Pagan Realm'. I started doing a lot of writing, making articles for the site. I ended up discarding a lot of the orginal book, removing other people's ideas. I rewrote some of the articles from my site and they comprised the bulk of this new incarnation.

Third incarnation

I went through a pretty rough patch in my life. I had a bad depressive episode, that I won't go into here. Anyway, I ended up taking down the site I'd made, and started focusing on getting my life on track. I eventually started focusing on my spirituality again, and I picked up the Book of Shadows again. I stripped most of the material out, and started writing new spells and rituals. I also wrote down my beliefs and my ideas about religion and Paganism in general. This was the third incarnation.

Fourth incarnation

Anyway, I didn't do much with the Book of Shadows for quite a while. I started a new job, which I eventually left to do more studies. I'm now doing a University level course on a part-time basic, meaning I've got more free time. Along with this new free time, I've started working on my Book of Shadows again.

I've spent a lot of time just making tables of different concepts. I started from scratch, evaluating my view of existence and life. I developed the 'Model of the Selves' that I posted about here. I took a look at the elements and thought of the meaning and function of each one. I questioned the relevance of each one, and changed the model so many times that I'm not sure of how much resemblance it bears to what I started with.

I examined my view of the divine, and managed to come up with a pantheon I'm comfortable with.

The most recent project was to look at the tools of magic. I listed the different tools I've used and encountered and examined their use. I pondered which element and gender suited them, and why they had, traditionally, been assigned the more recognised properties. From there I developed my own ideas of what they related to.

Now, with this model firmly in place, I've produced the first page of my new Book of Shadows. I've written a ritual to consecrate tools. It's not much, but it's a good start. Having the time to consider things properly and put the foundations in place, I've finally begun to produce a Book of Shadows that is all my own work, and that contains all my own ideas.

Has anyone got any stories about how their current Book of Shadows came about?

[Fillionous]

I started writing stuff down fairly early in my life. At first it was just odd doodlings, notes to myself about wildlife I had seen, or kept and studied, bits about plants and trees, stories, poems, odd lines... a half hearted dream diary, recipies both 'normal' and strange, some magical, some medicinal, some for human consumption some for plant or animal.
It was all rarther disjointed, spread over loose pages, note books and files on computer disks. I did not call it a Book of Shadows... I did not know what, and had never heard of, a BoS.

My Book of Shadows grew out of this mish-mash. Slowly I transfered much of the information onto my computer. I refined it, corrected the spelling mistakes, expanded on earlier ideas, compleated the stories, (which had always been compleat in my mind but had never been formally written down.) added new bits. This is an ongoing process... most weeks I add something. I have never thrown out anything, even the stuff that I now know is wrong or that I have developed more mature or different ideas about. I find it useful to look back and see the progress - compare then with now. The path I have walked...

I still did not call it a Bos (indeed I still don't) but it is effectivly a BoS.

Be bright, be bold
Fillionous

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing that. I don't throw anything out either, I keep it in a separate wallet, though not in the Book of Shadows.

[NachtSorcier]

My first Book of Shadows was a lot like your first one:  It was primarily material printed off of the computer with my own writings peppered here and there.  Being a fascinated newbie teen, it consisted primarily of magical material, not religious.  All of this was assorted in an old three-ring binder.

My second Book was a metal-ringed journal that my mother gave me for Christmas.  It was a more sophisticated version of its predecessor, but still noobish and, I admit, filled with fluff.  I've since done away with this book, since I've taken what little I still needed from it and re-copied it into my lastest book.  This journal had a twin, which became my magical cookbook.  This grimoire has long since been neglected, but I still have it and I plan on cleaning it up and adding more formulas to it.  The three-ring binder long ago became my Mirror Book.

My latest Book is an actual bound book that I purchased from an online occult store.  It is black faux leather with the words "Book of Shadows" emblazoned on the front.  About 99% of the material therein has remained important to me for the last three years; I have only had to alter and rip out a few pages.     And I admit, the cover of the book has gotten a little messy over the years, mostly from stray candle wax, but I think it gives it a rustic look.  hehe  Anyhow, inside are a collection of published texts, such as the Rede, the Code of Chivalry, the Witches' Rune, and the Witches' Creed.  Most of the other content are of my own creation, such as a few pages describing the nature of the Gods as I understand them, Sabbat and esbat rituals, descriptions of the tools I use and how to consecrate and prepare them for use, one of my methods of casting the Circle,  information on angels (I work with them), poetry and readings, both learned and of my own creation, and a few Ceremonial Magic items, such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.  There are no spells inside yet, but I have yet to find any that I will need to use more than once.  However, whenever I write a new spell, I do so on a sheet of paper and I keep it somewhere or other, just in case.  So, perhaps once I'm ready, I will add spells and magical information to the book.