| LadySilverVixen | Date: Wednesday, 19-February-2014, 11:57 PM | Message # 1 |
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| Book of Shadows
A witch's Book of Shadows(BOS) isn't something that is mandatory. However it is very useful in many cases, especially during the
winter months which is a time of reflection. Going over past rituals and magical workings can give you idea's for the coming year ahead. I wanted to post this because I know we have those who are new to the craft. I am aware that not everyone who reads this is a witch and
wishes to go through the task of keeping a Book of Shadows.
I wanted to post this so everyone was aware of how useful a BOS can actually be on the progressive path of being a good witch
or in general a good magic user.
In a bos is a number of things that are kept,these usually vary in some areas based on what you are studying. For those who are into Wicca a few things that are recommended would be of course, notes on the holidays, any rituals you did solitary or with a coven, how you felt after and during the ritual.
A brief history on Wicca, what it is, and a personal notation as to why you decided to follow this path, as well as what it
means to you. (This can be done with any path or any kind of magic)
You can included stones, herbs, potion recipes,tea recipes, spells etc pretty much whatever you want related to the craft.
However what a lot of people forget is that you can include dates of specific dreams along with actual dream and what your interpretation is of that dream, and then later reflect on that interpretation and make changes as needed.
Some people forget to add in moon phases, if you are as bad as me with the moon phases, if you use windows 7 there is an app you
can get to remind you, and most calendars are pretty good about marking the quarters and the full and new moons, so keep one of those handy as a back up (we all know about technical difficulties).
What I want to stress though is that, in cases of reflection a bos is a fantastic way to really asses your own path, and how far you have come. I know it can be tedious to maintain a bos, but those who have had one over a year can tell you how good it is, and how helpful it can be.
You can take notes on anything related to what you are studying, even if you aren't Wiccan. The general idea is to keep track
of your workings, and the lessons you've learned. I've encountered several people who do this through a long series of diaries (usually more than 5 by the time they meet me) and they not only have a chance to reflect, but they find deeper meaning in the rituals or rites they have done in the past, combine them together with ones more recent, then create a whole new ritual to express those very meanings to reinforce their foundation of knowledge upon those meanings.
I just hope that most of my coven members here are trying to maintain a personal book of shadows for themselves. I know it's
difficult learning from online sources, it has been since the internet allowed us to start learning just about anything we wanted. However, I wanted to point out that if you choose to print anything, make sure you give credit where credit is due. You'll find as you progress that you'll make changes to someone's spell to make it your own, re-write things because something has changed and you feel it's needed to make a change to the appropriate passage.
The other reason I'm making this post is that I want to let everyone in the coven know that even though I may not log on frequently, you should never hesitate to ask me, the priest, or the council members for help when you need it. We elders of the craft have experience and
knowledge, and are here specifically to help and share our knowledge of the craft to help those who are new in starting out. It can be very lonely at first and we are here to help you, you don't have to have that lonely feeling.
If there are any topics in which anyone would like to learn, please feel free to let me know and I will help you or put you
in touch with someone of knowledge who can you on your path.
"I bless each of you in the name of the Goddess and God with a safe and happy journey through the life of a witch. May
you journey lead you to new heights in your levels of knowledge, and personal
understanding of the craft as well as yourselves and the world around
you." ~Rev Lady SilverVixen~
Message edited by LadySilverVixen - Thursday, 20-February-2014, 0:01 AM |
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