Now, I have to admit that I am not a very organized person if I don’t get organized from the start. So every time I start a new project I have to get organized from the first task or else things just fall apart. Now, many Witches have something called a “Book of Shadows” which is unique to each Witch. Well, I have five.
As a whole they are my Grimoire which I see as all of my magickal and life-doings. It’s basically me down on paper. My Grimoire has five Books which, in time, will grow and I may have several books but the five Books are my different sections of my Grimoire (even though each Book may have several books that continue information). Make sense? No? That’s okay; I confused myself, too!
Now, my first one is what I called my Book of Shadows & Light which is what you may see as my Spell Book and such. I keep my Spells, recipes, information on Gods and Goddesses, information on the Sabbats and Esbats, and so on in here. It’s my book of information, basically; a reference book. Now, I have named it as such because this Book brings together who I am, both on the inside (“Shadows”) and on the outside (“Light”). Also, I see this book as bringing together my Spiritual side (“Shadows”) and physical side (“Light”). Who I am stems from this Book. This is put into a 3-ring binder so I can always add to it, rearrange the pages, etc. This will help me get organized.
The next four Books are more like journals. They don’t go into 3-ring binders because they are written in day-by-day so they are like diaries but serve a special purpose.
My second Book is my Book of Shadows. For me, “Shadows” means who I am on the inside, the person others may not always get to see, etc. It’s my soul at its best, I guess. This is my Magickal Journal. In this I keep track of what Spells I Cast, what results were seen, what Spiritually happens to me, what Rituals I have done, etc.
- A Book of Shadows
Next we have my Book of Light which is my Personal Journal. This covers everything happening to me outside of my Magickal and Spiritual life. It talks about what I’m worried about, what I’m doing, who I’m fighting with, who I met, why I’m mad at my car, the weather, etc. It’s my way to keep grounded and here on the physical plane, I guess. It’s that reality check I need at times. For me, “Light” means who I am on the outside, the person everyone sees, etc.
So hopefully with me explaining that, you can understand how I bring my Spiritual Life with the Book of Shadows together with my Personal Life’s Book of Light to make the Book of Shadows & Light!
Next, we have a Dream Journal of mine. It is said that Dreams are a Mirror to the Soul. Hence, I have called mine the Book of Mirrors because it is a reflection of my sub-conscious. I write down the Dreams I remember, what I think they might mean, and later on, if something happens, what they actually meant.
Last, but not least, we have my Book of Reflections which is my Divination Journal. By “Reflections” I mean what I see in my tools of Divination which, most of the time, are Tarot Cards. It is said that Tarot Cards reflect the knowledge that is within you. So in here I keep information on my Readings, what happened in the long-run, etc.
The last four Books are just Journals, as you can see, so I bought some books that you can find online to use as journals. No need to move around pages. If I need to add more information, I buy another! Each has a different symbol on the cover. My Book of Shadows just says Book of Shadows on the front; simple enough. My Book of Light has a Pentagram to show all areas of life coming together. My Book of Mirrors has the Triple Moon symbol on it to show the Maiden, Mother, and Crone; moons remind me of dreams and hidden knowledge from within—hence dreams. My Book of Reflections has a Triquetra on it because, for some reason, it just felt right.
Now, this is very confusing but it helps me organize things. You may wonder how I go about using this confusing system so here is a brief example of a day. Now, I may not use all the Books in a day, but this is an example of me using all the Books.
I woke up early in the morning. My dream was about birds flying all around me and a storm rolling in over desrt-like hills. I wrote this dream down into my Book of Mirrors along with my interpretation. After breakfast I did a brief Tarot Reading on finances for the coming month. I wrote down the Reading and my interpretation into my Book of Reflections. After lunch I found a new Spell to try for health. I wrote it in my Book of Shadows & Light to use later. Before dinner I consulted my Book of Shadows & Light for a friend to get direction on making a Mojo Bag. That night I used the Spell from earlier. I wrote down my experiences in my Book of Shadows and then wrote down on the Spell page in my Book of Shadows & Light the date that I Casted it so that I can refer my Book of Shadows in the future to see how it is doing. Before bed I journaled in my Book of Light about the rainy weather, a friend getting ready to move, how much I love my new bed, and everything else that happened that day!
If you have multiple “Books,” what are they?
– Lady Cerridwen Brighid Morrigan
Lady Cerridwen Brighid Morrigan's Blog 