What Goes In Your BOS? (Essay)

I get this question alot, as do many many other pagans when a newbie is looking to make their first magickal journal, and the answer is simple: WHATEVER FEELS RIGHT TO YOU.

The purpose of a Book of Shadows is to hold whatever has importance to you and your path. That answer is not always enough for some people who want more of a guideline, so here is one I put together real quick.

First you should have a title/ dedication page. This page is where you write down that this book is property off "your name". You can do what I did and put your real name, public craft name, and private craft name. Then you record your spiritual commitment (what you hope to learn, who you wish to have as your dieties (if any) ect. ect.). you may record the date, time, astrological aspects of the night, who else is there (if anyone), your familiars name ( if you have one), ect. I usually draw a pentagram in the middle of the page, and write around it. I also do this on a full moon, and concecrate the book with all the elements, but you may choose to do whatever you like. It is after all your BOS.

Other things you may add:

Correspondence Lists on:
herbs
oils
gems and crystals
candles
moon phases
astrology
colors
elements
anything else you can think of.

Divination
Dreams
Invokations
Meditations
Moon Rituals
Potions
Prayers
Quotes
Recipies
Redes and çreeds
Sabbat Info
Sabbat Rituals
Songs
Spells
Summonings
Symbolism
Trances

You may add anything else not on this short list that you may find important to your path. This book is after all, you personal record of everything you might use in your magickal study/ use.