A Book of Shadows is a sacred text used by magical-spiritual traditions like Wicca to record information important to their practice. This may include rituals and ceremonies, spells, the liturgical calendar, prayers, chants, songs and the use of magical tools and other sacred objects.

The specific content and structure of the Book of Shadows varies by tradition. Generally, it is shared within the tradition and may be hand-copied by members or one member may hold the Book for the entire coven. Those who are not initiated are generally not permitted to see it. In some traditions, members can only view and/or copy certain sections and certain levels.

The Book of Shadows was first popularized by Gerald Gardner when he described the tradition of Wicca in the mid-20th century.

Many magic-users today create and keep their own Books of Shadows even if they are not part of a tradition. It may contain anything the practitioner feels is important to remember and have on hand for their magical and spiritual work.

Some claim the Book of Shadows to be exclusive to Wicca and a closed practice. Record-keeping within a tradition is a universal practice, assuming the members of the tradition is literate. But I suppose we could call it something different. Like a Spell Book? Or a Grimoire, the 14th century Gramarye or, my personal made up word for it, The Grammalia or as Granny Weatherwax would call it (with disgust): a Grimmer. I have personal problems with witches calling their Spell Books grimoires. Go over to the Grimoire article and we’ll talk about it more over there.

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