This is my Public Witchy BOS that I will share with my viewers who want to learn, and gain Pagan Knowledge. I will say please read and enjoy. If you use any of my information please let me know, I do expect you to put your own style, feelings, heart and soul into your works ofcourse. Blessed Be
***************************
How to make a Book of Shadows
Your Book of Shadow's can be a spiral notebook or a pretty journal that you pick up at the store but I do believe that the more personal I can make anything then the more powerful it is so I wanted to start from scratch with mine. I originally wanted to make my own cover from thin wood and use tiny hinges to make it open! I quickly decided this was beyond my "skills" and came up with a new plan!
I bought a photo album at the local hobby store, the kind with a heavy cardboard cover held together with cord run through holes at the edge and paper inside that you glue little triangle corners to for holding photo's.
I'm sure you've all seen them! I brought it home and promptly took it apart and spray painted the covers with a marbleizing kit.
I needed paper for the inside and I opted for the parchment look stuff available at any office supply store, I used a whole punch and reinforcers and put it all back together with cord run through the holes.
During a full moon ceremony, I placed dried herbs inside the front and back cover then glued silver metallic sheets over the herbs to hold them in place. I named my book and painted it's name on the front cover with stencils - just be crafty and decorate yours how you like!
The only trouble I had was finding the original photo album in the size I wanted. They are usually big and square and my paper wouldn't have fit inside well--I had to do some hunting to get one close to regular paper size. I type my spells on the computer and print them out, I'm sure this will appall some witch's who believe everything must be hand written to empower it but I just don't believe that myself. I have dreadful handwriting and like my book to stay neat and readable so typing works best for me! I do hand write the spell during it's construction but once it's done I type it to place in the Book of Shadows.
book of knowledge "the book of lights and shadows".
I make handmade customized BOS (book of shadows) for people
If you would like one, and want more info on prices email me at:
celeste_luna_creations@hotmail.com
Creating your own Book of Shadows
Be Serious
Be Silly
Be Creative
Be Yourself
Now, find yourself a blank book, even a blank notebook will do to start. You pad the book and cover it with fabric and trims.
Traditionally, the BOS is handwritten, but in this age of technology, many are typed and printed, but writing it out allows you to put your own energies into the book
Write a blessing for the book, either put it on the inside of the cover or the first page. Bless it by the hands of the Goddess and the God
You may even sew some magickal herbs inside the cover of the book to protect it
Include in the beginning the Code of Conduct of the Wicca, Rules for being a Witch, the threefold law, and the Wiccan Rede: Harm none
Add a section on beginning the rite, casting the circle, how to set up the altar, and how to close the rite
Add a section on the consecration of tools and crystals
Add a list of tools, symbols, Wiccan shorthand and their meanings
Add a section on prayers, invocations, chants and songs that you might use during ritual
Add a section containing spells, and special ritual practices
Add a section on the Sabbats and Esbats and include at least one ritual for each that you will practice
Add a section on recipes for food and beverages for ritual and Sabbats
Add other sections that you may want for reference such as:
Candles, and candle crafting
Crystals, stones and scrying
The Goddess' and The Gods
The Moon (lore, magic, rituals, worship
The Sun (meaning, symbols, worship)
Herbs (list of herbs, purposes, healing)
Astrology and The Tarot
Incense and Oils
Close the book with perhaps a glossary of terms, and leave blank pages at the end to add extensions to your work.
I actually have broken this down into more than 1 BOS
My spell book is 1, my journals another each, etc, to fit my needs as they began to grow.
You will find things work for you, and soon you will create and make changes to fit your liking.
Sample BOS contents
Table of Contents of BOS
Opening
Blessing and Dedication for this Book
The Wiccan Rede
The Gods and Goddesses - Aspects of the Great Creator
The Wheel of the Year
Magickal Definitions
Preparation of Mind and Body
Ethics
Grounding
Raising and Manipulating Energy
Visualization
Meditation
The Beginnings
Your Craft Name
Dedications
The Altar
Ritual Tools
Creating Sacred Space
Consecration of Tools
Spell and Ritual Work
SPELLS and RITUALS
Spells by Type
The Layout of a Spell or Ritual
Casting the Circle
Dressing a Candle for Ritual
Lores, Research and Correspondences
Color
Plant
Animal
Stone, Gem and Crystal
Day
Astrological
Directional
Elemental
Symbol
Scents
Moon Phases
Faery
Chakra
Sacred Spaces
Time
Past Lives
Numerology
Using Your Hands - Creating and Building
Crafts
Ritual Tools
Pampered Products
Essential Oils
Charms
Food Recipes
Gardens and Nature
Psychic Arts
Divination
Tarot
Runes
Other
Poetry and Art
Lullabies, Poems and Songs
Pictures
Personal Journal This is a seperate book
Dream Journal as well a seperate book
******************************
MAGICKAL RECORD KEEPING
One of the most important tools that a witch has in his/her arsenal
is the BOS (Book of Shadows). It is not something you buy in a store.
It is something completely personal to that person. In short, it is a
magical journal that is kept and added to through out your path.
Keeping accurate records of your magical workings is a discipline
that is completely necessary for a serious witch, and more
importantly for a solitary, as you do not have the support of a
circle/coven to help and guide you. In keeping records, good notes,
records and sometimes-even pictures are necessary. The reason for
this is simple. You can keep track of your progress, and even nail
down re-occurring problems that you might not notice then, but by
seeing it written down, you can isolate it and deal with it. It also
helps you develop rituals and spells that are more powerful, and
comfortable to you, or should I say, more fitted to your unique
energies.
Keeping notes also improves your memory of a given situation and
helps you clarify events after they have happened. It also enables
you to look back to determine WHY something went wrong.
The Dream Journal
There are three different types of journals that one might keep. My
personal favorite is "The Dream Journal". I cannot begin to tell you
how many times I made or cast a spell or ritual, and had something
not feel quite right, or perhaps even fail, only to turn to my dream
journal, and discover an interesting dream that happened around the
time I cast it. Keeping a loose-leaf notebook by your bed is a good
practice. Don't worry if your first couples of tries are barley
readable, simply looking at it later will bring up the dream to
memory, and the writing WILL get better. I would suggest a soft book
light by your bed to do this with, so you do not wake anyone when you
rise to write in it. After some time of writing in it, you can
actually begin to see things that are happening within you that you
did not even know existed. It is also a good place to write down your
experience during meditation or grounding and centering.
The Personal Journal
The second one is what I would simply call your "Personal Journal".
Simply, it is a recording of your day-to-day life. Writing the
weather at the top, believe it or not, comes in handy. Things like,
your family's goings on, world headlines, your thoughts on things
that you feel you should say. Even affirmations are good.
The Book of Shadows
Although it is not imperative that you keep one, it is VERY important
however, to keep notes. Especially when working spells. When one
works a spell, it is VERY good practice to jot down the following,
call it your Ritual Record Sheet. I personally have this in word
format, and have about 20 printed and on hand now granted, you will
learn ritual making in the second degree, but it is good to get you
exposed to it:
• Date, day and TIME that the spell was worked
• Phase of the moon
• Astrological correspondences (if necessary)
• Weather Conditions
• Your emotions at the time
• Your health, or physical condition at the time
• Type of Ritual
• Purpose of ritual
• Tools and other items used (i.e. special athame, herbs, special
candles or incense, etc.)
• Deities invoked (if any)
• The length of the ritual
• (to be written later) The results of the ritual
• Ritual composition
It is usually a good thing to take magical notes in a regular
notebook, and then later, lovingly transfer your new knowledge to
your BOS. While I was in a coven, I usually carried one with me, and
after Esbats or Sabbats, I would write things down and later transfer
them to my BOS, especially if we did something powerful or moving to
me personally.
Most BOS contain ritual outlines, poetry, recipes, artwork, songs,
chants, the Rede, information about Sabbats, Gods & Goddesses,
alphabets, symbols, correspondence charts, etc. These sections in a
BOS are included in the outline in the previous lesson regarding your
Spell Binder.
Here is a quote from a popular author that sums a lot of it up:
"...you may find, like I have, that it is almost impossible to
capture some rituals and energy-workings in words. I mainly use the
entries (in a Book of Shadows) to jog my memory."
~ Yasmine Galenorn in her book:
"Embracing the Moon"
What goes into a BOS?
Your Book of Shadows (BOS) does not need to contain specific spells,
recipes or rituals. You can put anything in it you wish to, however
even if you feel that you may not need a BOS, it is important to keep
at least a few notes. Most Witches find that their BOS in an
invaluable tool, particularly after being involved in the Craft for
many years.
BOS are sometimes prized possessions of covens and solitaries, and
are even becoming somewhat of a status symbol among Wiccans. This
might not be the best development in the Craft, but there are many
reasons that a BOS can instill pride. Calligraphy and illuminations
on parchment pages are a sign of the love and care a practitioner
puts into their work. Thus the reason for writing it down, and then
later transferring it to your BOS. Simply creating your presentation
book can be a form of meditation and a spiritual experience... and it
can help build self-esteem through your artistic or creative
achievement.
A BOS can also help create a ritualistic mood. There is much to be
said regarding 'props' in rituals, particularly group rituals. A
beautiful, intricate presentation book on the altar sets the mood of
respect and honor for an entire ritual. Set & Setting, you will find,
can influence many occasions.
What is Your BOS Like?
Imagine a wise elder who lives in a cabin out in the woods. On the
bookshelf of the cabin next to the fireplace, on the very tiptop
shelf, the elder keeps a treasured Book of Shadows. You to reach up
and take the book down from the shelf. What does it look like? This
is your BOS. You are the wise elder - the book is of your making.
You might think of your BOS as a direct reflection of your view of
Wicca, or as your gift to future generations. Of course, it is
certainly not necessary to create a formal BOS. You may find your
Spell Binder works perfectly for you and is flexible and casual. You
may also choose an ornate Spell Binder.
Creating Your Presentation Book
Transferring pages from your Spell Binder to your BOS can be either
very simple, or extremely difficult, depending on the format of
presentation book you use, and the amount of work you wish to
do. "scrap booking" has become very popular in recent years and
Witches can benefit from this popularity though the easy access of
custom papers, adhesives, inks, punches and binders.
In Summary:
Your BOS and Spell Binder may be one in the same, or you might be
more comfortable with having 2 separate ones, allowing you to create
a beautiful BOS. I personally think that the wooden ones Lady
StarFish sells are SUPURB for a BOS. You may find that your BOS
changes with you, for example you might start out with journals and
pre-bound books, change to a small and portable day-runner type
organizer, and then switch to simple notebooks. Whatever you decide,
the whole point of this section is for you to learn some of the many
ways to make your BOS special, unique and very much YOU. Because you
will grow and change, I recommend that you choose a flexible system
of some sort.
Keep In Mind When Designing Your BOS:
1. Find out what you really need to have in your BOS before
spending time creating it, and before spending much money. To do
this, keep a Spell Binder type system and find out what you use most.
2. Consider whether you need your BOS to be with you during
rituals or while making recipes. Do you need plastic sheet
protectors? Do you need your book to be angled on a bookstand? Does
your book lie flat? (many pre-bound books don't) There are easel
binders which are like a three ring binder, except the cover folds
out at the bottom to create its own easel. These are convenient, but
the hinges do eventually wear out.
3. How long will your chosen BOS system last? How long does it
need to last?
4. What appeals to you the most?
The point is, is that it is unique to YOU, it is a part of you
Ideas for other BOS
BOS are easy to make if you want something special. You can use wood, cardboard (the really hard stuff, not the box kind), leather and pre-made folders. By making your own BOS you are making it all yours. There are a bunch of bookmaking web sites. The basic setup of a blook are the two outsides and the center spine. You can use glue, metal rings or even hand sew the book together.
The last BOS we made was wood with hand carved designs and light wood burning. If you decorate your BOS with herbs, flowers or other items that protrude outward, make sure you put an edge on the book. For ours we encased them in a "window box" type frame. But others we've made were...
For love: rose colored material, pink binder, dried roses and leaves, pink and white ribbon, small crystals and sculpy clay hearts.
For Money: We purchased some old coins, green cloth, green and gold ribbon and attached the book blessing on a parchment scroll in the center of the book.
Herbal Spells: We used a ton of herbs and decopague them on to 11" wooden boards. Then around the edges, we attached dried herb flowers. For the pages, we printed herbs around the edges and on some we used large images (light colors only) of the herbs.
Ritual: We stained 11" boards black and inlaid gold designs around the book edges. In the center of the book we had our title of the BOS carved out and 24k gold filled. It's an amazing book.
But once you make your first book, you won't want to stop. We even had to make a special book case to hold our BOS in so that they would not get damaged.
Sabbats:
Lughnasadh Rituals
Founded by Lugh, in honor of the passing of his mother Taillte, the holiday Lughnasadh came to be the first of the summer harvest festivals. The first fruits of summer and fresh grains are ready for picking at this time of year and the summer days are still quite long and warm. However, this marks the beginning of the waning of the year, with fall arriving shortly with Mabon.
One figure found at a variety of harvest festivals was the corn dolly. Alternately spelled as “corn dollie,” this icon is a figure woven from either braided straw or sheaves harvested from the corn fields. A related icon called a “kern baby” is a figure made from the cob of the corn. These figures were dressed or adorned to resembled women, and viewed as an embodiment of the spirit of the harvest or a representation of the Goddess. It was considered necessary to safeguard this fertile spark over the winter to ensure continued and bountiful harvests. In some cultures, all the farmers would gather in the fields and cut the very last sheaf standing from all the fields as a communal group. The belief was the Corn Spirit would retreat to the last sheaves as the harvest happened.
At Lughnasadh, the last sheaves harvested in the fields are woven into a corn dollie, The Corn Mother. This doll is kept in a closed box until Candlemas. Reborn as the Corn Maiden, the dollie is dressed in white and displayed as Brighid the Bride for this holiday. Sometimes the corn dolly would then be plowed into the fields during these first preparations and other times this wouldn't happen until Beltane.
Simultaneously this holiday honors the fullness and abundance of summer alongside the coming waning of days and preparations for the coming winter. Cattle and other farm animals were often walked through the last coals of the Lammas bonfires as a blessing. Other ways you can honor the Lughnasadh holiday are
Sacrifice bad habits and unwanted things from your life by throwing symbols of them into the sabbat fire. Prayer scrolls can contain written descriptions of offerings, or they can be doodled or drawn representations. They can be symbols or words, whatever is a more powerful association for you.
Freshly harvested grains and berries are the foods most associated with this holiday. Blueberries were the fruit often picked as an indicator of the coming harvest so you may wish to include some of them in your meal or on your altar. Bread can be baked in the shape of a man or the sun for further Sun God correspondence.
Take time to harvest fruits from your garden with your family. If you don't have a garden, try visiting a pick-your-own farm in your area. Urban pagans can also consider having bowls of organic grains on an altar as an alternative for garden harvests. You might also want to share the bounty of your harvest by making a food donation to a charitable group.
Your altar can be accented for Lammas with fresh vegetables or fruits, grains, berries, corn dollies, and bread. Appropriate colors are orange, gold, yellow, red and bronze.
This is a celebration and festival of the Mid Summer First Harvest. The early crops are being brought in and this is the start of winter storing. This is the time of feasting on the Mid Summer First Harvest and breads that are made from the early grains of barley and corn. This is when days start to shorten, and marks the time of less and less sunlight until Fall Equinox (Mabon), when light and dark are equal. It is the first of three harvest festivals. The other two being Fall Equinox (Mabon) and November 1 (Samhain).
The Christian religion adopted this theme and called it 'Lammas', meaning 'loaf-mass', a time when newly baked loaves of bread are placed on the altar.
The heliacal rise of Sirius just before dawn was an extremely important event for the ancient Egyptians. This coincided with the flooding of the Nile which fertilized the land. The occasion was seen as the birthday of the Gods and the Egyptian New Year. August 1st now is the first day of the Egyptian calendar. This and the third harvest are the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet's ritual times. Great feasting, drinking, and merry making in the fields take place during Her rituals to celebrate the Mid Summer First Harvest. She is a Sun Goddess as well as the Goddess of destruction, rebirth, and healing. She is called the Lady of the place of the beginning of time. One who was before the Gods were. She holds an Ankh in one hand and a Lotus Wand in the other; She wears a red dress. Her Name is derived from the Egyptian word 'Sekhem', which means "power" or "might". The word sekhem' is literally inseparable from Sekhmet and Her worship.
Sekhmet's main cult center was located in Memphis (Men-nefer)and was part of the Divine Triad there, which was made up of Sekhmet, Ptah, and Nefertem. Sekhmet is the wife of Ptah, the 'Creator' Netjer of the Ancient Egyptians and their son is called Nefertem, who is also closely associated with healers and healing.
Sekhmet's action is always the right, or 'appropriate action'. When She destroys it is an appropriate destruction or vengeance. It is never chaotic or random. It is always what is needed at the time. She removes threats and punishes those who do wrong against Ma'at. The God Ptah is her consort and Nefertem is their son.
It is common ritual to bake special ceremonial breads to honor the Gods and Goddesses. The grinding of the grain represents the harvest and death (or transition), adding sprouted wheat and yeast represents resurrection, and the consumption of the food represents the cycles of nature and new life.
Mid Summer First Harvest (Lammas) honors all of the Grain Harvest Goddesses and Gods as well as the Goddesses and Gods of Death and Resurrection: Sekhmet, Egypt; Tammuz, Sumerian; Adonis,
Assyrian/Babylonian; Demeter, Greek; Persephone, Greek; Ceres, Roman; Freyja, Norse; Bride, Celtic. It is a time of thankfulness to the Goddess and God for their help in the plenty of now and of prayers for a full harvest for the winter that lies ahead.
Also known as: Lughnasad (Irish Gaelic); Media Aestas (Greek, Aug 1); Panathenaia (Greek, Aug. 14, Ancient 28 Hekatombaion - dark of the moon); To Mesoun Theros or To Statheron Theros (Greek); Kronia (Greek, July 30, Ancient 12 Hekatombaion).
Lughnasad, (LOO-nah-sah) traditionally celebrated on August 1, is a festival characterized by races, games and contests of all sorts and feasting on the year's first fruits. Originating as a harvest festival, it is associated with the Irish sun-god Lugh, or
Samildanach, master of many arts and skills. Lugnasadh means the "Commemoration of Lugh", not Lugh's death but the death of his foster mother Taillte, the goddess of agriculture who died while
clearing the Irish forests in preparation for planting. In Ireland there were different type of Fairs: The "feis" that was a national fair, the "dal" that was a tribal or area fair, and the "mor-dal" that was the great assembly - the Tailltenn Fair is the most famous example of this. This was also the time of Tailltean marriages or handfasting for a year and a day. This was a common form of marriage until the 1500's, but one you didn't bother the priests about. Usually it was officiated over by a poet, bard, Druid, or a priest/ess of the old religion. The Druids of old considered this festival a very important part of social order and religious importance.
*************************************
3-Fold House Cleansing Ritual & Blessing
This is a 3-fold cleanse, purification, and blessing. Part of the appeal of the Three-Fold House Cleansing & Blessing Ritual is that you can easily do it on your own, and it is very effective.
It uses 3 different smudges.
Sage
Cedar
Sweetgrass
Begin your house cleansing ritual by grounding, casting a Circle, invoking the elements/directions, and inviting any deities or guides you may like to help you. (This step is not strictly necessarily, but it will increase the potency of the work and also provide protection against unpleasant energies.)
Light a candle, invoking Divine Light and/or welcoming the Element of Fire. Wash yourself with the Light.
Then apply the sage to the candleflame, and get it smouldering. Go around the house in a counterclockwise (Widdershins) direction, wafting the smoke into every corner and closet.
Pay particular attention to areas where water, electricity, or gas comes in or out, where the electrical panel is located, any heat sources, and appliances.
Remember the hallways are rooms of a sort, too.
In the centre of each room, draw a circle or pentacle Above, and one Below.
At every window, and even more so at every entryway, work the smudge in a circle spiraling in to the centre, or draw a pentacle with the smudge.
While smudging with the sage, repeat this prayer:
Cleanse this house and make it clear —
Only good may enter here!
When you've completed the house, snuff out the sage.
Light the cedar, and go around the house. Use the same process, except for the rest you will go clockwise (deosil).
While smudging with the cedar, repeat this:
Blessings grace this cozy place it
All joy and peace may it embrace
After you've gone through the whole house, snuff out the cedar, and light the sweetgrass.
While smudging with the sweetgrass, in a clockwise (deosil) direction through the house, repeat this:
Infinite Power of the Divine
Protect and bless this house through time!
Once you've done the inside, go around the entire outside of the house with each smudge just as you did inside, and repeating the pentacle seal on every entryway.
You may also do this around the entire property (unless other families live there too).
End with this completion:
By the Power of the Divine
This home is Blessed!
Blessed Be!
At the end of your house cleansing ritual, devoke any deities, guides, and elements/directions you've invoked, open the Circle, and snuff the candle.
Take a moment to feel the energy of the house now. It should feel very light, spacious, and clear.
Harmony ♥
No comments:
Post a Comment