by Thelma Vance

Created on: July 28, 2008

The Magickal Journal or Record is a very important tool to review the past in order to avoid mistakes in the present. How did you feel at the time you Practiced the Art? And, how the results varied during emotional upheavals?

When we create the Journal, often called the Book of Shadows by some, we record our feelings THEN the result of any action we may have taken. This keeps one somewhat sane and hones the powers of self observation. When an event went better than hoped, we need to record this fact and all that lead up to the point of "Casting". We then record the events AFTER the Event in order to judge how effective the Event may have been.

Placing a Historical event and its effect into our Journal, helps to keep some balance. When our Event fails to achieve the Intended Goal, we can review the actions and the History to see just what Event Segments need to be changed.

We may have come across some action that created and Event that was performed by someone else. This too should be recorded for review at a later time.

Dreams and Visions should also be included in our journal. This allows us to "predict" Results for Ourselves. It should be self evident that it is Very difficult to predict Results for ourselves. The reason for this is that we are involved in the casting and it raped up in our own personal hopes which muddies the True Results.

When we make almost any change, this fact should be recorded and reviewed when we are analyzing Results. Corrections to early Events are valuable in that we are revisiting an Event and looking for new and better Results. Even if this does not happen, we can follow the development of an Event and see if the Results were as Planed or Failed.

Some in Wica call this the Great Work because it assists others in their Practice and gives some idea of what SHOULD happen. When the Great Work is in a Recorded Volume it is referred to as a Grimoire, a book of magical spells. But, in truth it is a Scientific Journal into the mind of the Practitioner and effect on inhabitants of this plane.

Plane travel should be especially noted and in as much detail a possible. It does NOT matter if the tour was positive or negative. The conditions and experiences are vital. Very few can travel the Planes (see Membrane Theory as applied to physics). If you CAN travel then that information is indeed very precious and should be recorded in your Journal and possibly a BLOG.

Science has no way to prove the math or to experiment with the conditions that it takes to create such an Event. Math for may of the Wica becomes the Spell in which to create the Event. So, the Math should be included in your Journal.

This Journal should be given to someone that understands what you have recorded. This knowledge is dangerous to the untrained. Thus, the Person that YOU give the Journal must have some of the Knowledge of their own so that YOUR Journal assists and does no harm.

Lab Books are a form of Magickal Journals. These record the exact procedures for performing Rites and Rituals and then measuring the Results. The analysis is just as important.

All records of the Craft performed with the proper intent should be maintained. Emotions, personal issues family finances etc should be well documented. Any, prayers should be added and the precise time and conditions that caused the Practitioner to call for help should be especially annotated in the Journal.

Do you keep a Journal?

Can you reproduce your Results by following the information in the Journal? Do you perform your Procedures from memory or do you follow the information in your Journal?

In the end, only you can determine what will be in your Book of Shadows.

Learn more about this author, Thelma Vance.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.