A Book of Shadows.

A Wiccan Pentagram Book of Shadows.


'A Book of Shadows is a personalized, handwritten book containing a witch's spells, rituals and wisdom. No two will be identical. The magical book passed down from generation to generation in the Halliwell family figured so prominently in the television series Charmed is an example of a Book of Shadows.

The concept underlying the Book of Shadows is that for centuries, people practicing witchcraft and/or Pagan religions were persecuted, and practices had to be kept secret, for safety's sake. (The Inquisition did not distinguish between witchcraft and Pagan religions, but equated the two.) Possession of any kind of magical or Pagan text could be grounds for conviction of witchcraft. The name 'Book of Shadows' refers to the necessity of keeping these books safely hidden in the shadows, rather than out in plain sight.

This concept is extremely controversial. Some believe the Book of Shadows tradition to be genuinely ancient. Others are convinced that the concept was invented by Gerald Gardner. For some people, that's irrelevant: Books of Shadows are beautiful and powerful, regardless of when the concept emerged. Still others believe that if Gardner invented the tradition, then it is inauthentic.

No ancient Books of Shadows have yet been discovered, although this in itself does not prove that the tradition is not old. When accused witches were killed, it was customary for any books they owned to be confiscated and burned. According to 17th-century Venetian Inquisition records, a woman named Laura Malpero was charged with witchcraft. When her home was searched, a copy of the banned grimoire The Key of Solomon was discovered along with a private, hand-written book of spells and rituals into which Laura had copied parts of that famous grimoire. Laura's book, which was destroyed, fits the definition of a Book of Shadows.'

-- Quoted from 'The Weiser Field Guide to witches' by Judika Illes.


See also, if You wish:
> [ Protecting Book of Shadows ],
> [ eBook of Shadows ].