by Sita

Created on: April 21, 2008

A Book of Shadows is something very personal, and should therefore be very specific to the individual who is making it. It should reflect that person's journey, traditions, and personality. If the Book of Shadows is for a group or coven, then it should reflect what is traditional and sacred to all. The first step is deciding what to call it.

Despite that most are traditionally called just a "Book of Shadows", I have heard a new trend to calling them a "Book of Shadows and Light". Now, its up to personal preference, but if you follow a path based on balance and duality, then perhaps this title would work better for you. Then again, there cannot be a shadow without light.

Next is choosing what to use for your book. Some technologically saavy Witches now choose to do them all on computer, and while this may work fine for them, to me the art of writing and drawing on paper is more personal. I type up synopses of ritual and add beautiful clip art to some things, but for spells and personal thoughts I use a runic alphabet and write it by hand to add the power of my own effort to it. I'll come back to this when I tell more of my personal book. For now, if typing appeals to you, consider either a computerized Book of Shadows, or printing out typed pages to place in yours.

Another option is a journal or notebook of sorts. There are beautiful leather-bound ones available, some even with locks. Yet an ordinary notebook will also do, although I would advise decorating it with protective symbols and personalizing the cover. A binder may also be right, where you can either draw or create a cover and slip it into the plastic sheathing on the front, or cover the entire thing with something else.

Personally, I don't like plastic. I find it somewhat unnatural, and in making my own Book of Shadows I wanted something more earthy. I will share my simple pattern for making my Book, so that anyone that wants to do similar can do so. It takes a little skill with power tools, or maybe a spouse or friend that has those talents, but I was always taught that making your own tools and supplies gave them power, and this was the path I chose to take with mine.

I purchased two wooden plaques from a craft store, of an approximate size of 10 inches by 12 inches. On one plaque I measured a line about two inches in from the edge. Use a piece of the paper you plan to put in the book to decide the right size for you. Then I had this cut in a straight line so that when the book was facing me, longer

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