Readers Respond: Reader Ideas for a Book of Shadows

Responses: 223

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

I'm a little new to the Wiccan path and I'm a little scared to start a BOS to help me along. I just don't know where to start on some of this and reading these responses help me a lot. ^^ good luck in your own journeys
—Guest Luna Marie

I love my book of shadows. It is evergrowing and i always find comfort between its sacred pages. My Book of shadows is a three ring binder divided into different sections. I feel that it is a mix of ancient and modern magick. I love my book of shadows!
—Guest Mark Willey

I keep 3 special three ring binders... The first is a very large black 3 ring binder, my Book of Shadows, with basically EVERYTHING self-written and typed up. It contains everything I know about the Craft. Essays, charts, graphs, glossaries, diagrams, pages of speculation and research I've done, everything.... My Grimoire, in the traditional sense, is simply a smaller black 3 ring binder containing Spells, Rituals, and Recipes (as well as some blessings/prayers and chants). My 3rd book is a smaller white 3 ring binder, which contains all of my personal magickal journaling, musings, and ritual/spell summaries and logs. I call it the Book of Light, because, through writing my thoughts and musing about magickal things, I find solutions, illuminate my own secrets, and bring to light all of my thoughts and once hidden ideas. :)
—Guest her witchyness A.H.G.

Still trying to put a proper one together. If there's anyone near or in Plymouth,MI that would be willing to lend a hand and give me some assistance, I would really appreciate it.
—Guest Amanda

Wow! I've just read a bunch of the responses posted here and I must say that I am amazed at the creativity shown. I am currently making an "official BOS". I love to work with wood and so will be making the cover and back out of ... probably oak but maybe poplar (I love it's greenish tint). I'm thinking that I may take apart a binder and reuse the ring area for the pages as I really like the idea of being able to add and remove things at will. I'm really hoping to be able to inlay a pentacle with a tree of life over it or something to that affect. I love woodcrafting so it will take some time to work out the cutting lines. The cutting is the easy part, the design is what takes the time. Thanks for all the great ideas!
—Guest crone woman

My BOS is on my watch. I received this special timepiece as a gift, and though it has an analog face, it has a very digital secret. Underneath it rests a small compartment with a tiny, 4-gig flash drive. Granted, this is used more for books that I download off the Internet, and I do have a binder for a physical book of shadows all set up, but I like doing a ton of research, and all of my notes go on my watch. So, at the moment, that is where my secrets hide.
—Guest Matthew

My BOS is nowadays in digital format, ever since Microsoft released OneNote..... I love that program, I am currently in the process of transferring my written book into it's digital format using this program.
—nerdqueen

My book never stops growing. My handy one is actually on Mini SD cards, for my Kindle. I have downloaded books and have 5 different cards, for different reasons - Cabinet, Writings and Essays, Rituals and Spells, Books, and Oils/Herbs. Then there are my notebooks - 13 binders with my lessons and all other items I've collected. It never stops growing, so much information out there, and I have a new pile of papers to file in them. I have lessons in my Incredimail program along with more essays and writings, rituals, spells, gardening, kitchen - you name it. Then on my computer, and on my AOL account. I look to the day I can just sit and organize it all. So much, so little time.
—LyndaLBDuke

Mine is on my computer (I know it is not the best way to go but it is easy for pictures and organisation..). I have sections in my BOS, they are: History of wicca, correspondences (meanings of everything, herbs, flowers, plants, planets, colours, animals etc it is good for spells) spells and rituals, Wiccan festivals and traditions, personal (all about me, my star sign , my name meaning, etc) astrology and planets,divination (fortune telling stuff), and at the beginning is my book blessing, the Wiccan rede, witches dedication and the Charge of the God and Goddess. i print it out too. it isnt the prittiest but it is so organized and easy to find info. i put my feelings and thoughts in my books of mirrors which is hand written and i put my dreams and visions in my book of illusions which is also handwriten. So easy :)
—Guest Tori

I actually have 2 BOS. One is more of a rough draft version of the official one. I use it to jot down spells and rituals I think of and their results. If they work, I transfer them into my "final draft" book of shadows. My official book of shadows is just a simple, black 5 subject spiral notebook I bought at Walmart. Each section has it's own purpose, such as herbs, spells, symbols, etc. It's nothing fancy or complicated so it doesn't stand out too much, while at the same time it thoroughly fulfills its purpose.
—Guest Ryan

When I was 14, I made my first BoS out of lined paper, cardboard, and ribbon. I tied all the parts of the book together and had ribbons for bookmarks. Now that I'm older, I have a brown photo album with gold trim that I found at a thrift store. It has three rings in it to put paper in. There's also a pentagram that I drew on the front in black paint. It's my favorite thing that I own and I'm constantly adding to it. Blessed be!
—Guest astrum liber

I was in my 9th year in secondary school when I decided to start my first B.O.S. it was a school notebook, covered in wrapping paper, filled with pictures and tables of correspondences. I had a section on the elements and simple spells, as well as some prayers and the Wiccan Rede of course! It was a shabby sort of book but meant alot and was special to me. I am currently searching for my next book to use as a second more refined B.O.S. since ive grown up and want something more ornate and organised to work with. Whatever your book of shadows may look like,as long as it feels right for you, thats what matters! ^_^
—Guest Coal Moth

As a mum of a toddler, I'm a little iffy on having an important book, so for now everything is on my computer, and smartphone. but, my plan for my BOS is to have a big binder so I can add as I go along, which is the fun part!
—Guest Allana

My Book of Shadows is a midnight blue leather notebook, with a sort of swilring floral pattern across the left hand side. on the first page I wrote my name, "Book of Shadows" and the date started. I left some space, so i could record the date filled, because I plan to have many of these, for many years to come!
—Guest Guest karl

My Book of Shadows is a small Green Book with a depcition of the Wiccan Pentagram on the cover. Inside it, I include information on my god & goddess, spells, rituals, moon phases, herbs, stones & gems, etc. My BOS has been a part of my life since I was 14 years old, & is my most prized possession. Every page of my BOS contains some image, drawing, or picture that I have found to inspire me during my journey. To me, my BOS is unique, the exact reason why I love it (:
—Guest Samantha

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Patti Wigington
Paganism / Wicca Guide