Shadows & Spells
A Book of Shadows is a diary is which all of your spells, recipes, lotions, potions, thoughts, inspirations, art and drawings, and anything else about your magickal life can be added. Traditionally, it is passed down within the family line or within a coven.
When I first started to keep a Book of Shadows, I was a little pedantic about it being as neat and tidy as possible, I'd get rather cross if I made a mistake or had to cross something out. Remember how at school when you used to get a new Rough / Draft Book? Would you always swear that this one would be the neatest ever? (Of course, it never was!)
Forget about neatness. I have found over 10 years, that a Book of Shadows is best written as inspiration comes to you or as you get the urge to put something in writing. There is order in the chaos of adding things as you go - remember that time is not linear, it is circular. Your Book of Shadows is also not linear.
My Book of Shadows has now got spells written in random pages, chants in odd places, etc. And you'd think that this would make it difficult to find anything... it isn't! Funnily enough, whenever I need that spell or piece of info I wrote, the Book will either fall to the right place or find me something even better that I hadn't considered.
In my experience, if you write your Book of Shadows in this way, it begins to take on a life of it's own as it grows, magick is sown into it and it becomes completely personal to you and your family (or coven) line.
So... forget about order and let your soul write the pages.
Spells, Altar Layouts & Casting Your Circle
A sacred circle should be cast, for the protection of yourself, others present and the spell itself, before any spellcasting commences. With practice, you'll finally be able to cast a circle within seconds just using the power of your intent, but until then, here's a guide:
When I first started to keep a Book of Shadows, I was a little pedantic about it being as neat and tidy as possible, I'd get rather cross if I made a mistake or had to cross something out. Remember how at school when you used to get a new Rough / Draft Book? Would you always swear that this one would be the neatest ever? (Of course, it never was!)
Forget about neatness. I have found over 10 years, that a Book of Shadows is best written as inspiration comes to you or as you get the urge to put something in writing. There is order in the chaos of adding things as you go - remember that time is not linear, it is circular. Your Book of Shadows is also not linear.
My Book of Shadows has now got spells written in random pages, chants in odd places, etc. And you'd think that this would make it difficult to find anything... it isn't! Funnily enough, whenever I need that spell or piece of info I wrote, the Book will either fall to the right place or find me something even better that I hadn't considered.
In my experience, if you write your Book of Shadows in this way, it begins to take on a life of it's own as it grows, magick is sown into it and it becomes completely personal to you and your family (or coven) line.
So... forget about order and let your soul write the pages.
Spells, Altar Layouts & Casting Your Circle
A sacred circle should be cast, for the protection of yourself, others present and the spell itself, before any spellcasting commences. With practice, you'll finally be able to cast a circle within seconds just using the power of your intent, but until then, here's a guide:
Altar Layout 1
Altar Layout 2
The above are examples of two layouts you can use when casting your circle, particularly if you're using tools (otherwise, it's possible just to cast the circle with you sitting in it and nothing else around). Choose whichever you fancy and feel free to modify it to suit you and the way you work.
Light the altar candles and say:
"I make this sacred space for ________________ (state why).
Dear Great Spirit, keeper of the Great Mystery, I ask for your protection and guidance in this work."
Light the four elemental candles, starting with Air (East) and moving clockwise:
"I welcome peace into my space,
by way of East, South, West, North,
and as it comes, I send it forth."
Cast the circle with your athame / wand / index finger (i.e. draw the circle in the air around yourself, moving clockwise), then hold it skywards:
"By my blade, this circle made."
The space is now set for ritual work.
This is a very basic circle casting, which will do for our purposes here. There are more in depth castings available if your work is to include heavy or dark magicks.
Now that you've cast your circle, you can carry out spells within your space.
Here's a FREE spell for you from my own Book Of Shadows: A Spell For The Healing Of A Torn Country.View/Download/Print PDF File.
To break sacred space (your circle), hold your athame / wand / index finger directly in front of you, pointing East and say:
"All and One, this work is done -
the circle cast is now undone."
Bring the athame (or equivalent) down hard and cut the circle. Candles can be put out at any time before or after breaking sacred space.
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