A Book of Shadows is a personal notebook where you record your spiritual practice: seasonal celebrations, moon notes, tarot readings, plant folklore, candle rituals, dreams and anything else that feels meaningful. To make one, choose a book you love, decide on a few simple sections, dedicate it with a candle if you wish, and then simply begin writing.
What is a Book of Shadows?
At heart, a Book of Shadows is a working record. It is where you write down what you did, what you noticed and what you learned, so that over months and years your practice builds into something you can look back on. Some people keep a neat, beautiful book; others keep a well-thumbed notebook full of crossings out. Both are exactly right.
The phrase itself is fairly modern. It comes from Wicca, which developed in England in the mid twentieth century, where it described a handwritten book of rituals and teachings that members copied out for themselves. Since then the name has been taken up much more widely, and many hedge witches, green witches and solitary practitioners now use it simply to mean their own magical notebook. You may also hear the older word grimoire, which historically meant a book of magic; in everyday use the two often overlap.
If you are just beginning, our guide to starting a hedge magic practice at home is a gentle place to start, and a Book of Shadows is one of the most useful companions you can keep alongside it.
Choosing your book
There is no single right book. Think about how you will actually use it:
- Size: a smaller book can come with you on walks; a larger one gives room for sketches, pressed leaves and longer rituals.
- Paper: thick, deckle-edged pages have a lovely old-fashioned feel and take ink well.
- Binding: a book that opens comfortably is easier to write in at the table or by candlelight.
- Feel: choose something you will want to pick up. A book that seems too precious to write in often stays empty.
If you would like a book made for the purpose, the Book of Shadows with 200 deckle-edged pages is a comfortable everyday size at 15 x 21cm. For more space, the Large Book of Shadows in black or the warm dark tan Large Book of Shadows offer the same deckle-edged pages in a bigger format.
Some people prefer one main book plus a smaller notebook for a particular purpose. The Moon Phases Deckle Edge Leather Notebook makes a natural moon diary, and the Green Man Leather Notebook suits nature notes gathered on walks.
What to put in your Book of Shadows
Start with what you actually do, rather than what you think a Book of Shadows ought to contain. Here are some ideas.
The seasons
Give each festival of the Wheel of the Year its own page or two. Note the date, the weather, what was in flower or berry, and how you marked the day. Our guide to Yule and the winter solstice has ideas for the darkest part of the year.
Moon notes
Record the phase of the moon, how you felt, any intentions you set at the new moon and anything you chose to let go of at the full moon. Patterns often appear after a few months. If you are new to the lunar cycle, moon phases explained walks through each phase in turn.
Tarot readings
Write down the date, your question, the spread you used and the cards you drew, followed by your first impressions. Reading back a few weeks later is often when the meaning becomes clearer. Our guide to simple tarot spreads has layouts to try, and a Tree of Life tarot reading cloth gives you a calm surface to lay the cards on before you write them up.
Plant folklore
Note the plants you meet on walks, where and when you saw them, and the stories attached to them. Our guide to hedgerow plants and their folklore is a good place to start. You might sketch a plant or press a fallen leaf between the pages. Keep this part to folklore and observation: many hedgerow plants and berries are toxic, so never eat, drink or apply any wild plant unless it has been identified by an expert.
Candle rituals
Record the colour of the candle, what you lit it for, the day and moon phase, and anything you noticed as it burned. Simple notes like these make it easy to repeat a ritual that felt good.
Dreams
Keep your book, or a small notebook, by the bed and jot down dreams as soon as you wake, before they fade. Over time you may notice images or themes that return.
How to organise your Book of Shadows
There are three simple approaches, and you can change your mind as you go.
| Approach | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| By theme | Divide the book into sections such as seasons, moon, tarot, plants, candles and dreams, leaving plenty of blank pages in each. | People who like to look things up quickly |
| As a diary | Write everything in date order, like a journal, with a short index at the back. | People who write little and often |
| A mix of both | Keep reference pages at the front (festival dates, favourite rituals, correspondences) and a dated diary from the middle onwards. | Most beginners |
Whichever you choose, number the pages and leave the first two or three blank for a contents list. A ribbon or small paper tab at the start of each section helps. Do not worry about making it perfect; a Book of Shadows is meant to grow and change with you.
A simple dedication ritual
Many people like to mark the start of a new book with a short dedication. Choose a quiet moment; the new moon is a popular time for beginnings.
- Clear a space on a table and lay down a cloth. The Esoteric Fringed Altar Cloth – Moon & Sun Chart suits a book that will hold so many moon notes.
- Set a candle in a holder on a heatproof surface. A plain ivory candle from a pack of Manifest Magic Spell Candles works well, or use a tealight in an iron votive candle holder.
- Light the candle and sit for a few slow breaths with the closed book in your hands.
- Open it to the first page and write your name, or a name you use in your practice, with the date and the phase of the moon.
- Add a few lines of dedication in your own words, for example: "This book holds what I learn, what I notice and what I love. May it grow wiser as I do."
- Sit a moment longer, then snuff the candle out.
Keep the candle well away from paper, including the open pages of your book, as well as curtains and anything else flammable. Keep it out of reach of children and pets, and never leave a lit candle unattended.
Keeping your Book of Shadows private
A Book of Shadows is personal. Some people share theirs happily, others keep it entirely to themselves, and both are fine. If privacy matters to you, a book that fastens helps; the Black Confessions Leather Notebook with Lock is a good home for dreams and more personal entries. You might also wrap your book in a cloth or keep it in a box on your altar, and decide for yourself who, if anyone, is invited to read it.
Begin where you are
The most important thing is to start. Write today's date, the phase of the moon and one thing you noticed outside. That single page is the beginning of your Book of Shadows, and everything else will follow in its own time.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a Book of Shadows and a grimoire?
A grimoire is an older word for a book of magic, often a collection of instructions and lore. Book of Shadows is a modern term that came from Wicca in the mid twentieth century and usually means a personal record of your own practice. Today the two words are often used loosely and many people use them almost interchangeably.
Can I use an ordinary notebook as a Book of Shadows?
Yes. What makes a Book of Shadows is what you write in it, not the book itself. Any notebook you enjoy writing in will do. Some people like a book made for the purpose, with thick deckle-edged pages, while others prefer a plain notebook they feel free to scribble in. Choose whichever you will actually use.
Can I keep a digital Book of Shadows?
You can, and some people find a document or notes app easier to search and keep tidy. Many others prefer paper because writing by hand feels slower and more personal, and it is pleasant to add sketches and pressed leaves. You could also use both: a digital copy for reference and a handwritten book for rituals and reflections.
What should go on the first page of a Book of Shadows?
Many people begin with their name, or a name they use in their practice, the date and the phase of the moon, followed by a short dedication in their own words. Others leave the first few pages blank for a contents list. There is no rule; write whatever feels like a fitting beginning for you.
Do I have to be Wiccan to keep a Book of Shadows?
No. The term comes from Wicca, but today hedge witches, green witches, solitary practitioners and people who simply enjoy seasonal ritual all keep one. It is best thought of as a personal journal of practice, so you are free to shape it around whatever you actually do, whether that is tarot, moon notes or nature walks.
