Season 2 Episode 5 Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is a great way to record your trials and tribulations in your journey.  Whether you're a Witch, a spiritual practitioner, or just someone who would like to record their personal journey.  Making a Book of Shadows is for you.  We describe how to make one, some things that would go into one, and more.

This podcast is hosted by Apryl Gregory and Tess Gregory.
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Transcript

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Welcome to holistic secrets podcast. Where we will guide you to reveal the secrets that aren't always shared join us. As we help you gain an understanding of spiritual world with me Apryl. And with me Tess. Let's dive and do it. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Holistic Secrets. This week we are going to talk about building your book of shadows. Now, I know a lot of people hear that and they go, oh my God, it's witchy stuff. But having a book of shadows doesn't matter what you practice, what you believe in, it's just really a record of your journey. You can hand it down to younger generations. You can keep it private and have nobody see it, that's all up to you. But I think it's good to have a book of shadows so that you yourself can go back and see your progress. See from when you started it up to now, you know, you can put stuff in the book of shadows of past stuff that you've done. If you've never done a book of shadows. I mean, you remember some of the rituals you have done, some of the things that you have looked up, whether it be the different herbs and plants your different recipes in your, your kitchen that you've done. If you're a kitchen witch, you can put all that in there. It's just a recording. Of your practice. You don't have to be a witch to do it, you can just do a journal. So we will get into that in a little bit. Just wanna wish everybody a happy. 4th of July. By the time this comes out, it will be two days after, but right now I'm recording. It's the, it's the week before and, and, well, it's a few days before the 4th of July and time. I hope everybody has a great celebration. Gets to see some fireworks. We are gearing up big time for the wedding. We're doing all the decorations now, getting them all ready, figuring out what we're doing because the wedding is only like something like, let's see, July, August, September, it's only like four months away. So we're real, real, real busy doing that. The kid, the little kids are getting excited. You know, April's son and my other grandson are gonna be ring security. It's gonna be so cute. And then my one granddaughter and, and April's two daughters, which are also, my granddaughters, are going to be flower girls. And my oldest granddaughter's gonna be a bridesmaid in it. And then all her friends, all April's friends, I should clarify that. And I can't wait'cause the decorations are turning out. Awesome. We got some good ideas going on between me and April and yeah, everything's. Going good in that direction. Stressful time. Stressful time. But you know, and also one other thing a little bit off the subject, I had a dear friend of mine has some medical issues. So if everybody could please say a prayer for her and hopeful for a full recovery. I would appreciate it. Okay, so let's get into building your book of shadows. Just wanna put a shout out to the websites I used, which was WCA Daily Sacred Anarchy, and the Pagan Club. They all, all three of those sites have helped me compile what I have to give to you. And explain what a book of shadows is. A book of shadows is a core element in many pagan, wiccan, and witchcraft practices. It is used by many and any practitioners of magic and spirituality. That's why I said you do not have to be a witch. You just have to be spiritual steeped in tradition, the sacred text. Acts as a personal or coven specific documentation of knowledge, wisdom, rituals, and spiritual experiences of the practitioner's journey. Over the years, it has evolved into both a practical tool. In a deeply symbolic artifact for practitioners, whether you're a season witch or a curious beginner, understanding the significance and uses of a book of shadows can greatly enhance your spiritual journey. A Book of Shadows is essentially a spiritual journal or a rei, where practitioners record rituals spells chants. Invocations dreams, divination, results, and other elements of their spiritual path. It can be seen as both a manual for practice and a personal testament to one's spiritual journey. The term Book of Shadows is believed to have been popularized by Gerald Gardner, the founder of Modern wca in the mid 20th century, Gardner described it as a tool for Wiccans to preserve rituals, spells, and teachings specific to their tradition. While its origins are relatively modern, the concept of keeping magical records dates back to ancient times. With examples found in Grim Wars, Matic, Texas, and sacred writings across cultures. Over time, the Book of Shadows has transcendent WCA and is now embraced by practitioners of various spiritual and magical paths. See, he told you, you don't have to be a witch. The Book of Shadows is a living document, deeply personal to each practitioner. Your personal book of shadows allows you to record various articles while on your journey. Indeed, you may use it to record your rituals or prayers to the God and. It's either goddess in God or whomever you pray to. Some practitioners say that for single witches, there's no reason to have a book of shadows. I wholeheartedly disagree. It's a great way to document your feelings, your ideas, spells, rituals, dreams, so on. But it can also be used for reference purposes. You can record and continually update your spiritual journey as you go along your chosen path. You can also use it for things that might not have worked the way you thought it would. Say a spell, a ritual you were working on didn't work out the way you wanted it to write it in there. R, write what you changed about it. Failure oftentimes leads to success. So write down your original, say it was a spell, write down your original spell, didn't work, write on the side, didn't work. Put down changes. Put your changes in there because you never know, you might come across something. In the future that you're questionable on whether to use a certain ingredient or do something a certain way and you can go back and see what didn't work, so it can help you in the future. Say you have quite a few books in your possession, it could be a pain researching through all of them for what you need. So by recording the information that inspires you most, put it in your book of shadows. You now have a quick reference point for the most appropriate spells, recipes, rituals, et cetera. Obviously, you can record many other things which you discover. In other words, not everything in your journal comes from other books, and the contrary are personal accounts or GR Moores may help others in the future. Generally speaking, your personal books are for your eyes only, so what you include should be relevant to you. Stay in control of all your actions throughout all your time on your chosen path. By doing this, your book will allow you to keep a record of the important information you need. You may have your own goddess, God, or both. So depending on your pantheon, your deities may differ from others. Of course, you may have a combination of many to draw from. Write down the main specific ones here and your specifics for your chosen di. But you can use the God and Goddess as inspiration. You can also have some diagrams and images there too. Sometimes covens, well, most covens I should say, have books. Sometimes individual covens may use a one book of shadows, which individual members can add if they wish to. Therefore the books are grim wars or dynamic, which can change over time. So we see that while we are rediscovering a lost past, over time, we will eventually get to where we need to be. This is why keeping a book of shadows can help the wicked religions move forward, but also can help the solitary witch also. While the term Book of Shadows is relatively modern, the idea of keeping a magical or spiritual journey is ancient. Throughout history, magicians, shaman, herbalist, and healers have written down spells, remedies and rituals in their personal GR wars. These grim wars served as a similar purpose to the Modern Book of shadows, helping practitioners to remember specific rights and develop their craft over time. And like I said, you know, you, you don't have to be a witch. I know this is all generalized to being a witch, but you don't have to if you're a herbalist. It's a great way to keep your recipes. I am going to maybe butcher some this words, so please, I'm trying my best. The name Book of Shadows is set to be inspired by San Skirt. A Sans skirt book on divination titled Ye Shastra or Book of Shadows that Gardner encountered whether or not this direct connection exists. The Book of Shadows and Wcan and modern paganism have grown into a cornerstone of magical and spiritual practice. Gerald Gardner's original book of shadows provided a framework for rituals, sabbaths, and working within Wiccan traditions. His early covens would often copy from this book, creating a sheer tradition. However, as wicked spread and diversified partic. Practitioners began personalizing their own book of shadows leading to a wide variety of styles and content. The significance of a Book of Shadow lies in its ability to preserve knowledge. It serves as a repository for rituals, spells, correspondence, and. Mystical Insights two attracts progress. Practitioners use it to record their spiritual growth, successes and lessons learned. It empowers practice by reflecting on past workings. The practitioner gains confidence and clarity in their magical path. Some traditions view the Book of Shadows as a sacred text, where others see it as a practical tool tailored to the individual's needs. Now, you and me have seen. Ancient Book of shadows in films and television shows such as Charmed, where the book contains spells and a wealth of knowledge on various topics. Your personal Book of Shadows is a space where you can document your spells and rituals that you wish to remember. Ideally, it should be handwritten, but later we'll go into doing it online. Your book of shadows is a sacred instrument. It represents power and it's essential to take proper care of it, much like any other magical item. Now, there's a debate should you purchase pre-made book of shadows or create your own? While it's possible to buy a pre-made one, they advise against not doing so. They say the books can often, often be gimmicky with rituals and spells included that are more for entertainment than practical use and that you should manually write each spell. It's not this not only channels energy as to you as the creator, but also aids memory retention. Take your time documenting your spells. Treat this as a ritual in itself. Don't rush. This also ensures your writing is eligible for future reference. Now, if you go and you buy a book of shadows and it's blank pages, it's there. That's a good one to buy. What they're talking about here is that some of the Book of Shadows already have. Rituals and spells in'em, and they might not be for what you wanna do. There's also two, you know, you, you can just use a whole bunch. We'll, we'll get into it. Here we go. Should you offer a basic notebook or more durable option? First and foremost, all you need is an empty book. A simple notebook will work adequately, but since it is a sacred item that you may wish to cherish for a lifetime and potentially pass down, it is wise to invest in a quality book of shadows. Some prefer using a three wing ring binder. Well, it may not be as attractive as a leather journal. It allows for easy modification of pages later on. And why can't it be attractive? You can decorate it any way you want. So if you wanna take that three ring binder and go get some fabric, wrap it in a really cool fabric, or get leather and wrap it in leather. There you go. You can do so many different things. I think the three ring binder. It's great because it allows you to add into the different sections and you can write it on a regular piece of paper or you can go and get some fancy card stock, or the resume paper is really nice and pretty to write your stuff on, and then you don't have, if you make a mistake, you just get another piece of paper and start over. Mine, I actually have a photo album, one of the ones that's used 12 by 12 paper, and I put different papers that you, you buy, like at Michael's for scrapbooking and I put them in there. I got some fun. Halloween papers. I got some beach papers, I got some holiday papers and I put them in and then I stick my rituals on top of it, on other pieces of paper. I haven't worked on mine in a long, long time. I really have to bring it back out and start working on it again and, but I thought for me that was a fun way to do my book. I am also too working on, and I hope to have in the next week or so it up on my site, but I'm going, I'm making different pages to sell that you can use for your book of shadows. They're really cool looking. So how do you begin your book of shadows? Once you've made your choice and feel prepared? The first task is to inscribe your name on the opening page. Some practitioners invest considerable time here. You don't need to spend ages on it, but keep in mind that this is the first entry. And it will influence how your book evolves. Many people start with something like This Book of shadows belongs to your name, followed by a quote, a poem that, a poem that holds significance for them or anything else you wanna, you wanna inscribe there Now. To create and maintain your book of shadows, you have to choose a format. Either you're gonna use a physical notebook, a binder, or digital document. Organized content include sections for rituals, spells, correspondence, reflections, dreams herbs, plants, recipes, personalize it. Decorate it with symbols, artwork, or items that resonate with your practice document regularly. Write down what you have done, your rituals, your insights, your recipes, your experiences to track your growth. Your meditations have a section for your meditations, and when you, you sit there and you meditate for five, 10 minutes. Write down how you felt, what you felt. You know, you could be meditating in the shower and oh my God, you get this unbelievable feeling as you're meditating or just washing away all negativity. I know there's times that I've gone in there not realizing like all this negativity attached to me. And I go in there and I just say, you know, wash away all my negativity, negativity attached, attached to me and negativity that I created myself. And there's so many times that come outta there and I feel so great. And I have to start writing that down in my feelings and, and putting it in. Make a time each day or weekly to write in new book of shadows. If it's daily, take 15 minutes or longer a day to write in it. Tell it your insights, your experiences, your failures too. Keep it sacred, treat it with respect, and store it in a safe place. Now, some people ask what's, what's a grim mo? A grim mo, while similar is often more structured and focused on universal magic knowledge, whereas a Book of Shadows is highly personal shadow work, the Book of Shadows can be a place for exploring shadow work in documenting inner transformations. Shadow work is something that I would definitely. Record in your book of shadows. Shadow work is, is something that can be so easy, but then it can be so hard depending on what you're working on, and you really don't wanna forget the shadow work you did. You don't wanna forget those feelings. So put it in your book of shadows. Some people like to do sils. They, you can include your sils. And they're meanings in your book of shadows. You can have a whole section, you know, and if you make one shot, one sil, you could just put that on a piece of paper and then the next time you make a SIL, you can put it underneath. You know, you could just have it as a running thing. Tell Talismans instructions for crafting talismans may be part of your shadow. Your book of shadows. The Book of Shadows embodies the hermit principle of as within so without. It reflects the practitioner's inner journey and external magic workings, bridging the spiritual and the physical realms. Maintaining a book of shadows fosters discipline, self-reflection. And a deep connection to one's spiritual path. It is both a mirror of the practitioner's evolution and a guide for future endeavors. Now, guidelines and rules. Your coven or the laws of your tradition. Yes, rules do exist in magic. They different from one cove to another, but it's wise to document them in your book of shadows, ideally at the front. This part mainly serves as a reminder of what's appropriate in your cove or tradition and what is not. If you practice alone, this is an excellent space to outline your personal rules for acceptable behavior. Trust me, you will find it useful. There will be moments in your path as a witch or practitioner when you want to refer back to these guidelines to make informed choices. You know, and as you work on your journey, you might find you need to add rules or you may find out some rules aren't relevant to you. You thought at the time it was, but maybe now it's not. Things change. You are able to go in there. And change it. So if you have one rule that no longer resonates with you, just put the date, no longer need it, then add your new ones. So always leave space. That's why I say a three ring binder or a photo. Book is good. A photo album is good to use because you can open it and change, but there's nothing wrong with having a bound book. And also in this section if you're Wiccan, this is a, this area is good for noting the Wiccan raid. And that is by by the Wiccan. Lawye must imperfect love, imperfect trust. Eight words, the wick and Ray fulfill and ye harm. None. Do what? Ye will. What you send forth will come back to thee. So ever mind the rule of three. Follow this with mind and heart. Marry ya. Meet and marry you part. Now you don't need to be wicked to follow that rule. In fact, you should follow it in some ways. It's always remember to harm. None. What you will do will return to you threefold, whether it's good deeds or bad. So remember. That rule of three is true dedication or introductions. This section typically contains the practitioner's personal dedication to the craft or to a de. It might also serve as a statement of purpose for the Book of Shadows itself, explaining why it was created and how it will be used. If you've been initiated into a coven. You can include a copy of your initiation ceremony here. If you're not part of a covenant or you are ready, devoted yourself to a diary. This is a fitting space to document that. For some this might. Extend across multiple pages, while for others it may be a brief line with your name, the names of your diary, and the date. I'd advise writing a few additional lines explaining why you're dedicating yourself to the Your Diary as well. This segment of your Book of Shadows is also, is also a good place to jot down legends about your gods, along with any relevant artwork or images. Do it your way. What feels right to you? Sacred Texas. Your book of shadow serves as an excellent repository for ancient sacred Texas. If you encounter a text that resonates with you, write it down. Many of which is also used this area for documenting chance and traditional prayers. And we we're not talking about texts on your phone, we're talking about. Ancient words written down in books your tables as a witch who engages in magic and spell casting, your correspondence tables are amongst your most vital resources. These might include phases of the moon, various colors and their meanings, herbs, et cetera. The each element serves distinct purposes. And as time passes, it can be challenging to recall. Every detail, including charts in your book of shadows, makes this information readily available when needed. Herbs and its uses any book of shadows should encompass a section dedicated to herbs, their names, appearances, their uses. Herbalism is a fundamental aspect of spell casting. For millennia, people have relied on plants for various purposes. Over time, you'll find uses for plants and herbs in healing, spell casting, cleansing, and much more. You know, there's a book on the internet, I forget the name of it that everybody is pushing right now for all the different remedies of plants and everything else. It's not probably a bad idea to get that book. You can go in there and use what they consider recipes and you can put it in there if it resonates with you. I wouldn't just write down anything just willy-nilly, but they're saying that book's good. But I, for the life of me, I can't think of the name of it. Magical recipes can be part of it. This part caters to the kitchen witch. Here you write down recipes for crafting potions, oils, insects, or herb blends. It can also include specific recipes for meals made for Sabbath celebrations in similar occasions. Also too, if you're just cooking up and you got this fantastic recipe, not only put it in your your little card file where you have your recipes, but also put it in here. Working on meals is magic too. Let me tell you, some people are freaking magicians when it comes to making food. You can put rituals for most wiccans and Pagans a year. Features eight holidays. Document the rituals for each Sabbath. For instance, free rule outline, how to celebrate the winter soest. There are no requirements or complex city. It can be as detailed or straightforward as you prefer. Sabbath are the eighth seasonal festival celebrating in many Pagan traditions. Well, ebis are rituals focused on the phases of the moon, recording the dates, themes, and rituals for these specific days to help a practitioner stay attuned to natural cycles of the earth in the moon. So yeah, if every month you do a full moon ritual, write it down in there. Change it as it goes. As you change your ritual, things change. You can rewrite spells. A key component of most books is a detailed record of spells, rituals, and ceremonies. These may be cells for protection, love, prosperity, healing, or other needs. Each spell may include instructions, required materials, and notes on the outcome. Without doubt, you'll need to keep notes on your magic. This is because you can use so many combinations to cast. Spell. Remember that your spell work will be different in so many ways to that of others. What works for them may not work for you and vice versa. Magic and spells are personal. It can take years in some cases to perfect them. So preserve all your spell work in your books, and that's a good thing. If you are into doing spells and you're working on a spell, save one page for it, because if it doesn't work the first time, you're gonna rewrite it and then it might not quite work yet. And then you might have to, you might have to, to tweak it here and there. Write it all down so you know what you already did, and you don't go back and try and do the same thing that you already did.'cause then you'll just be going in circles. As a witch, you will know that we all have different ways of living. Therefore, all our ways of doing things will slightly vary. Creating your own form of magic is personal to you. So even if you were to share your spells with others, they might not get them to work, but recording them is important. You also may record how to cast a circle and what rights you invoke. Again, to help prompt you use imagery, use pictures, drawings, but always remember to update everything where you need to. This is very important. Utilize this section to pen your spells. A helpful hint is to characterize them by purpose, such as prosperity, protection, healing. So you know, like when you were in school and you would have the notebooks and you had those little tappy things on the end, do that. So you know, and you can just flip right to it. This arrangement will simplify retrieval. Some witches employ color coding for better organization. It's worth noting that some practitioners prefer to keep their spells in a distinct book referred to as a grimer. If you're a novice witch, you might find it simpler to consolidate everything into one book. However, follow what feels right for you as long as it doesn't cause harm. You can have a section for divination. If you utilize tarot, ruin, scurrying, or any other forms of divination in your practices, this is where you can keep that information. Many people document their divination outcomes in their book of shadows, where others prefer maintaining that a separate journal. Instead, practitioners can keep'em separate. In their own separate divination journal and like I said, whether you're using Terror Ruins, pendulum, curring, or other method methods. This section, I would put the divination tools under subheadings. So like if you do terror, I would have a section for terror. If you do pendulum a a section for pendulum, a section for ruins. You can also have, you know, a section for tarot readings, your own private ones, and if something happens with somebody, not that you have to put their name in all the specifics, but if it was something really profound, you could put that in there too. The section can also be used to in include interpretations of common sim symbols, personal divination readings, and reflections on their meaning. You can put a section for invocations chance and prayers. Many witches and pagans use their book of shadows to record invocations to deity, spirits, or elements. Chance, prayers and poetry can also be stored here as they may play a role in personal rituals. You know, and, and here again, you know, you can have a section for chance, section for prayers, for poetry. Dreams hold Special significance for many practitioners, often seen as a source of spiritual insight or messages from the divine. A section in the Book of Shadows can be used to record dreams in their interpretations. I probably wouldn't record every dream here. Just maybe important ones, the ones that have a lot of meaning to you now. Yes, you're gonna have your own separate book, your Dream journal. Where, you know, when you wake up in the morning and you grab that book and you write down your dreams, which is great, and don't stop doing that. But you could take the important ones, the ones that got meaning to you, the ones that maybe moved your, your path in a certain way. And put those in. And if you wanna put everyone in, put everyone in every dream you have. I probably would put every dream. I don't remember my dreams too much, and when I do, there's usually some significance that I usually can't figure out. Dreams in me are, I used to be an avid, avid, avid dreamer and then all of a sudden it just like stopped. And I know that's a block on me that I've been trying to work on, but personal reflections. Beyond practical entries, a book of shadows can serve as a place for personal reflections and spiritual growth. Some practitioners document their feelings after rituals or meditate on their spiritual journey. You know, feelings. Oh feelings. We always push our feelings away. We don't record our feelings. If you have feelings after a ritual, if you get into all your feels, record it so you remember it, and then when you go back through and you read it, you'll get those feels again. So many people, so many people just push their feelings away, you know, like my husband and I had a discussion. I got upset about something and was really, really upset and near tears, and he looks at me and he goes, why are you crying? I'm like, I'm allowed to have feelings. I'm allowed to have emotion, and I'm going to express it. Just because you don't like to do that doesn't mean I can't. So feelings are very, very profound and don't let. Anybody stop you from having your feelings and record'em. Kitchen witches or kitchen witchcraft. Your recipes can also be part of your book. After all, kitchen witchcraft is becoming even more popular. Kitchen witchery is a national tradition, but it's lost in time. Therefore, if you're discovering kitchen witchcraft, keep a record. Of course with so many combinations, it's all trial and error. You know, there's times I have, I have made some amazing food, which is throwing stuff together in the the house, you know, whatever I had in my kitchen. And other times it's been total freaking disaster. Write down your disaster so you don't make it again. I'll never forget a disaster I made. Poor April. And my husband, for the life of me, I cannot make beef stew no matter what. Can't make the stuff. And I tried making it to one time and it looked like this gray fucking goop. And I was like, well, you know, sometimes it looks bad, but it tastes good. You know? We all sat down, we all took a bite, we looked at each other. I'm like, this is fucking shit. And we threw it out and order pizza. Never forget the look on their faces. And I probably had the same look on my face. It was awful. So yes, there's, there's error and my big error is freaking beef stew. So if anybody got a good beef stew recipe, send it to Holistic Secrets podcast@gmail.com. I'll try it. Okay. Yeah. Now some tips for creating the Book of Shadows. You know, choose a format. Traditionally, it's a physical book, but with this digital age, some prefer to use digital formats such as blogs, apps, or even online documentation. You know, physical books, however, tend to create a stronger connection between the practitioner and their work due to the tactical experience. You know, you're sitting there and you're physically writing, but I know with this new age, younger people typing into a computer works the same as for old people like us. We're wr handwriting works for us to keep. So whatever you choose, personalize the cover in the pages. Many people enjoy decorating the covers and pages of their book of shadows with sils symbols or images that resonate with them. This can make the book feel more personal and magical. You can do the same thing on a digital, you know, you can put different symbols, different sils, whatever you want, organize your content. Some prefer a structured book of shadows with different sections clearly organized. While some others embrace some more chaotic freeform style, you can use tabs, dividers, or even different colors of ink to keep things organized, handwritten versus types. Many witches before handwriting their book of shadows and it is allows them to infuse each word with personal energy. Some others prefer to type their entries, which can make it easier to edit or organize content later. I mean, if you wanna have a physical book, but you wanna type your stuff, type it out, print it, glue it on to your pages, that makes it look more eligible. If you have a terrible handwriting, I suggest this. But it's what you wanna do. A book you should regularly update and review. A Book of Shadows is a living document that grows with you on your spiritual path. As you learn your things, refine your practice, or discover new spells and rituals, make sure you update your book of shadows regularly. And also if something doesn't resonate anymore, you can just write across. Does not resonate. Don't use. Don't. Don't take it out. Leave it there.'cause it was something at one point that resonated with you. You don't know. In later weeks, months, years, it might resonate with you again. Create a blessing or consecration ritual. Some practitioners like to bless or consecrate their book when they first create it. Infusing it with positive energy intent. This can be done through a simple ritual using elements such as candles, incense, and a spoken blessing. The appearance of your book can be traditional paper and ink, but you can use modern technology as computers. Since it's best to have a quick means of accessing the information, some thought should go into its design. For example, separate spells and rituals into a separate component, and then the best ones at the front and so on. So that's where, you know, they're saying the best ones at the front. But you could start, say your book of shadows. We'll just use a year in January. And then, you know, every month you've written down a spell of, you know, ritual. And then come June you have one. And it's fantastic. You wanna do this every, every month, you know, in the beginning of something. But now if you have a bound book, it's not gonna be at the front anymore. So to use the three ring binder, you can put it up to the front. Some people prefer to have numerous books once for their personal journey and others for their diary, divinations or spells. For example, I, I have a hard enough time keeping one book, let alone doing different books, but personal preference. For those who want to add protection to the books, write a spell at the beginning. This could be important, should you live with others who you think may have access to it. Should anyone access your book? They'll think twice about reading it any further. Obviously, you can buy readymade books that includes various things, however, that is their ideas and may not work for you. So in this situation, you may find it slightly uncomfortable. The best thing is to make your own and decorate it with flowers and symbols, et cetera. After all, most wicks have their own personal thoughts and should not allow others to tell you what is right in your chosen path. Indeed, you know best at all times. Remember that now in somebody's first starting their book of shadows, they may need some help. Or maybe they're not that crafty. They think they're not that crafty. Or imaginative, you can buy just pages. Like I'm making the pages for the different books. There's gonna be different themes throughout. Like I said, I'm just, I'm continually working on them and in a few weeks they will be on my Facebook page. I will also put them on the Holistic Secrets Facebook page for you to order. I'm eventually, I'm gonna start, you know, like I'm starting with the old World looking pages. But, you know, I'm going to do different themes, you know, people like. Beach things. They like the, the forest and the mountains and, you know, so I'm gonna have a a, a whole different set of them. And it's not that I'm gonna have anything filled on'em. No, they're just back pages for you to write on and then stick into your, your book, you know, you can cut, cut the pages in half, you can cut'em in section, you'll, you'll be able to do whatever you want and then just paste them on your. Your pages. It's fun. I'm having fun doing it. And like I said, you know, we're gonna be doing a bunch of different things. In recent years, the rise of digital tools has opened up new possibilities for maintaining a book of shadows. Some practitioners prefer. The tactical feel of writing in a physical book, you know, wherever others like the digital, but there's pros and cons to both a physical book of shadows. The pros are stronger, emotional and magical connection, more tactile and personal, allows for creative expressions through handwriting, sketches and physical objects, pressed flowers, et cetera. Cons of it. It's harder to reorganize or edit. Takes up physical space can be lost or damaged. That's why they're saying harder to reorganize. That's a bound book, which is true. That's why I like the photo albums or three ring binder. Digital book of pro of of Shadows, the pros, it's easy, easily searchable and editable, can be backed up and stored in multiple locations. Can include media elements, images, videos, links, et cetera. The cons of it, less tactile and potentially less personal depending on technology, which could fail. Okay, so the role of the Book of Shadows in different pagan traditions, well, it's often associated with wca. It's used in various ways across different pagan, in which, in which craft tradition, wca in wca, especially in traditional covens, the Book of Shadows is often shared. Document Covens may have a essential book of shadows that is passed down from one generation of witches to the next solitary Wiccans, on the other hand, create their own personal book of shadows. Traditional witchcraft in traditional witchcraft, a similar text known as A grim more may be used. While a book of shadows may focus more on rituals, personal reflections, and spiritual growth, a grim more tends to be more of a magical recipe book, focusing on spells magical correspondence and ingredients. The eclectic witchcraft and neo paganism nim Eclectic witches who pull from various traditions may incorporate a wide range of elements to their book of shadows. There may be a mix of spells from different cultural traditions, personal reflections, record of rituals and correspondence tables In Dru, it traditions a book of shadows, though it may not be called, that can include a record of seasonal observations, rituals, meditation on nature, and wisdom drawn from the ancient calta, bards, ethics and secrecy of the Book of shadows. Many pagans in witch. Consider their book of shadows to be a deeply personal and private item. It is often treated as a sacred object. With its contents kept secret or only shared with trusted individuals. The concept of secrecy comes from the historical need to keep such practices hidden during times of persecution even today. Some traditions uphold the sense of privacy. Whether you choose your book of shadows is entirely up to you. Some practitioners are comfortable sharing parts of the books while others keep it completely private. It's essential to treat your book of shadows with respect and follow your intuition when deciding who, if anyone should have access to it. The Book of Shadows is a powerful tool for anyone walking the path of witchcraft, wca, or paganism. It serves as both a record and a guide, helping practitioners develop their craft, record their progress, and stay connected to their spiritual beliefs. Whether you prefer a physical or digital format and whether you follow a structured or freeform approach, your Book of Shadows is a personal. An evolving reflection of your unique, magical journey. Now, organization can be challenging, and that's why creating a book of shadows deepens your relationships with your spiritual practice. Honor the ancient traditions of magic and create a legacy that may one day. Guide future generations of practitioners. So as you continue your path, your book may be a source of win, wisdom, inspiration, and empowerment. Your book is your own personal record, and it's one of the sacred tools, therefore, consecrated regularly to prevent negative energy creeping in What you add to your records is your business. In order to keep you right, there is no correct method. It all comes down to what helps you. Now, some people require a robust, durable book of shadows.'cause they're saying that if you just use a simple notebook or loose pages. It won't offer the same essence. I disagree. If you wanna use a simple notebook, get a three ring binder. Put that simple notebook in there. And finally, keep in mind your book of shadows is profoundly personal. Feel free to tailor it as you see fit. This is just a guide to help you if you wanna modify the structure or add sections, not mentioned here. That is completely acceptable. It's your book. Have fun creating your own book. And like I said, I will in a few weeks. I will have pages for sale if you need help with structure of pages, but do it the way you want. What feels good for you. I hope everybody has a fun time creating their own book of shadows. And while some people have a hard time journaling, I do. And my book of shadows has sat for a little while. I haven't worked donating in a while, but I plan on getting back to it and like I said, try to work on it at least once a week. Maybe take half hour, 45 minutes and work on it weekly. I won't have time to do it daily, just have too much going on in my life to do it daily. But I wanna try and do it weekly again, and get it all cleaned up and get things into it, get my further sections, and start getting it all organized. But you don't have to be a craft person to do it. It doesn't have to look like the award-winning book of shadows, or if you're gonna do it in a scrapbook, it doesn't have to look like an award-winning scrapbook. It could just be pages where you just write on it, you know, use a three ring binder. It's just no paper. You know, you can go get copy paper and then you can write it any way you want, decorate it any way you want with stickers. You know, whatever you want. I just think it'll be a fun thing to do. Don't make it a chore. It's not supposed to be a chore. But it is something to record what happens. And if you don't have time to put it in your book of shadows, write it down on a piece of paper, shove that paper in your book of shadows so that when you sit down to work on your book of shadows, you already have. What happened? Say it was a dream and you, you wrote that dream down, you know, but you don't have time to put in your book of shadows. Put that piece of paper in your book of shadows and then you can record it later into the book of shadows when you have a little bit more time, or you know, you have a recipe, you have, and then you have a dream, and then you have, ooh. I found this, this plant, it's great. I research it. Here's the information, put it on a pile, like maybe have a box to put stuff in that you wanna put into your book of shadows. And then once a week go in and go through and, and write that stuff down. There's, there's ways to do it that you might not have time right then and there to do it, but you can find ways you can find time. I just don't let that pile grow up to be, you know, like 10 inches high of paper that you gotta put in your book of shadows. That'll take you some time to get through, but I understand if that happens too. Life is busy, so I will in a few weeks have those pages up and live for ordering. And I really would like to hear from our listeners to have emails come in. Tell me about your spiritual practice. Tell me about your journey. Tell me about the good, the bad, what worked for you, what didn't work for you? I like those. Oh my God, I can't believe I did that thing. Love to paranormal. If you're sitting at your table and you are working on your book of shadows and all of a sudden a Gus of Wind comes from nowhere making your pages fly, tell us about it. Tell us about your friends that are hanging out from the other realm in your house. I got a bunch of'em in my house. They're all welcome. They're all good. And you know, tell us about'em. Send us an email to Holistic Secrets podcast@gmail.com. We would love to put'em on this show. Tell people, you know, maybe, maybe your Oops. On something you did will help somebody else not make that. Oops.'Cause Oh, you used an ingredient and oh my God, that just did not work for what you were trying to work on. You know? There's going to be failures. There's failures in life. There's going to be failures in witchcraft. But, all right, I will see you in two weeks. Have a great summer. Hope you get to go on vacation and have some fun, some downtime. Alright, bye. thanks for listening to holistic secrets. If you have any questions or ideas for an episode, or you want to tell us a story that happened to you along your journey, email us@holisticsecretspodcastatgmail.com. I offer in-person and distant Reiki services. You can email Tess at Holisticsecretspodcast@gmail.com. help us spread the secrets by rating us five stars and telling all your friends about holistic secrets. Remember a secret shared is a secret. No more. And we'll see you next week here at holistic secrets.