Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

[Loki]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Wow, such great advice, always interesting to see what other people do! I use a decorative A5 bound pad for ceremony, but yeah 2 large ring bindedrs for practicality!

[WinterTraditions]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

I'm working on my Book of Shadows. I've had all types in the past, but I have found that the 3-ring binder works best for me. I'm OCD and like to have a place for everything but sometimes those places need to be rearranged. Plus, typing everything out just looks neater than sloppy hardwriting. And if you're all artsy fartsy, you can still personalize it with pictures, things you've collected, etc.

But before I start working on what will become my actual BOS, I'm keeping a journal-type of book so that I can collect all the information I'm learning, as well as writing down my experiences. Once I fill up this book, I'm going to flip through it and type up everything that I think is relevant and print those things off to add to my BOS. I can't wait to have it finished!

I hear you xD I prefer the 3-ring binder as well. I tried doing a bound journal/book, but it just didn't work out. I also have a website where I keep my information as well, just in case I lose my physical copy or vice versa.

[Nerá]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

I'm working on my Book of Shadows. I've had all types in the past, but I have found that the 3-ring binder works best for me. I'm OCD and like to have a place for everything but sometimes those places need to be rearranged. Plus, typing everything out just looks neater than sloppy hardwriting. And if you're all artsy fartsy, you can still personalize it with pictures, things you've collected, etc.

But before I start working on what will become my actual BOS, I'm keeping a journal-type of book so that I can collect all the information I'm learning, as well as writing down my experiences. Once I fill up this book, I'm going to flip through it and type up everything that I think is relevant and print those things off to add to my BOS. I can't wait to have it finished!

[Chaoscraft]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

So basically I'd have a binder for reference, then a small, condensed, portable version just for carrying around places. I'm also in the process of making a portable "altoids tin" altar as well...small pentacle, small candle, matches, crystal, god and goddess symbol, sachet of salt, etc. Whatever I decide to put in it

~^_^~ Great thread!!

I agree with all of that. That "altar tins" thing is a great idea.

[Elora]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

I'm new to the site, I just read over this forum because I was trying to get ideas on creating my BoS. I think that after reading everyone's suggestions, that I am going to make a scrapbook type binder with page protectors for all of my information. It is important to me that I can move things around so that they are easy to find. I think that I'm also going to make a BoS light, if you will. I'm going to make a small book with just information that I might need when I'm out and about. I may not need the rede, that cookie recipe, how I made my offering stones, and my tarot readings when I'm spending the night at a friends house or hiking in the woods.but I may want that poem I wrote about springtime, or the charge to the goddess, or some nature specific information like pictures of plants to gather. So basically I'd have a binder for reference, then a small, condensed, portable version just for carrying around places. I'm also in the process of making a portable "altoids tin" altar as well...small pentacle, small candle, matches, crystal, god and goddess symbol, sachet of salt, etc. Whatever I decide to put in it

~^_^~ Great thread!!

[Louisvillian]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

I, myself, have always wondered what the enochian chants at the back of the Satanic Bible were really for. I like your description of Levayan Satanism. Couldnt have said it better, myself!

On most other sites, I describe in brief as "Ayn Rand with Western Occultism".
And that's pretty much what it is/was. I only say "was" because I don't know exactly what's changed since LaVey and now. And I don't know too much about the offshoots, some of which take a more literal, theistic approach.

[Vicariousparabol]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Satanism as it is usually understood and practised in the modern day is LaVeyan Satanism, founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. It is an occult religion with the same two main roots as Neopaganism: the Western occult tradition (which experienced a revival in the late 19th century through the 20th century), and the American 1960s Counterculture. It also practises magic, but with stronger roots in Crowley and Hermetic Golden Dawn mysticism, and with highly egoist philosophy resembling Ayn Rand. I wouldn't call their brand of magic "bad"; just highly focused on the Self.

I, myself, have always wondered what the enochian chants at the back of the Satanic Bible were really for. I like your description of Levayan Satanism. Couldnt have said it better, myself!

[Louisvillian]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

i may be wrong but I was always under the belief that satan was a creation of christianity.. and therefore satanism has nothing to do with paganism etc.

Satanism as it is usually understood and practised in the modern day is LaVeyan Satanism, founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. It is an occult religion with the same two main roots as Neopaganism: the Western occult tradition (which experienced a revival in the late 19th century through the 20th century), and the American 1960s Counterculture. It also practises magic, but with stronger roots in Crowley and Hermetic Golden Dawn mysticism, and with highly egoist philosophy resembling Ayn Rand. I wouldn't call their brand of magic "bad"; just highly focused on the Self.

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Gahh D: This reminds me how much I need to get back to working on mine.

[Ula]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Thanks for bumping this I am starting my spiritual journal scrapbook this weekend.

[Chezzielou]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Yeah, a BOS can be of great value, when i was a Satanist, I had one, but that was... well I guess magick for bad, so when i became a Wiccan today, I threw it out. I am meaning to get a new one.

i may be wrong but I was always under the belief that satan was a creation of christianity.. and therefore satanism has nothing to do with paganism etc.
And satan is just another name for lucifer who was the fallen angel who rebelled against the christian god for creating humans. This was what a lady who ran our local sunday school told me.

[StegoByte]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Reading through the thread it doesn't seem this option for binding has been mentioned. While I currently use a notepaper in a three ring binder, I will shortly be transferring everything into a new BoS with a post screw system. Often you can find these pre-made on Etsy or other places that come with a set amount of paper and then you can add your own. Or you can make you own books out of wood, leather (for leather covered hardback books balsa wood or heavy cardboard works) or just using a heavy grade leather for a soft journal/book. And you drill/punch holes through the material and all the pages and fasten everything with post screws. If you're making a leather covered book, you can even hide the post screws on the outside by putting the leather over it! This is nice because it has the nice look of a wooden or leather bound journal but also has the functionality of a three ring binder allowing you to add and rearrange pages.

[Caelia]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Exactly, there's a lot of room left over for the inevitable updates, additions, and evolution. Plus if you run out of room, there's always the option of buying another journal to add as Volume II without it looking tacky or cluttered.

This is why for my rituals I have no problem binding my own books. Depending on how long they are it's relatively easy to do even for the layman, and it gives me a chance to create a special box for them.

[Willow]

Re: Book of Shadows: Tips, Tricks, and Crafts for creating your own...

Hm, that crossed my mind once (briefly) but at the time I was picking up my journals all the store had was black and brown. Most of my journals are of different models, so there is some variation between them. Maybe when I need to grab a new one...