More Witch
StuffCoven of Cythrawl
POSTINGS
(Number 116)
Answer to a question about Book of Shadows
Just a quick word about Book(s) of Shadows, as I believe there has
been two good answers already. The book I copied originally was less
a book and more loose notes and my "Book" was never really a book but
a lot of loose-leaf pages placed in an old, small leather suitcase.
(The suitcase was one of those old small one's from the 1940's given
to me by my Grandma and I haven't seen them for years now, except on
one Mr. Bean show where he was trying to stuff baked beans and
clothes into it).
Anyway, none of my notes were written in Theban script either, which
everyone was supposedly "supposed" to do. It was just so difficult
to do and very time consuming and I couldn't read it anyway. Those
that had written in Theban script often regret very much later on.
Only one of our Wiccan here knows the script off by heart, but still
couldn't read as fast as you are now doing with this note.
Loose-leaf binders are great, as was my small case, which expanded
over the years into another case, (this time one of those big brief
cases - or flight bags. Historically, the BOS was supposed to be
destroyed when a person passed to the other side, and hopefully the
handed down stuff copied by someone else beforehand.
Gardner's BOS actually changed regularly from the outset, especially
after Doreen Valiente became his High Priestess.
What did I put in mine? Everything! Every scrap of occult knowledge
was cut out or hand-copied and then when photocopiers came out, of
course copied that way. I did write out by hand though
the "Law", "The Rede" and other pertinent stuff that has
been handed
down, most of it without change, since the original(s,s,s) by
Gardner. The rituals of course were copied out by hand from the
Coven Book I was given to allow me to do this.
The rituals as you find them in many books nowadays and on some web
pages are pretty much accurate, but the wording changes from quite a
bit, (as in my own Coven's) and slightly for other Covens. There is
much more wording in our original than there is in any public domain
copies I have seen published nowadays. On public domains, there are
also a little of the more so-called secret information that has
totally alluded any published books and web pages, which is probably
just as well.
My own Coven was pretty much taken from around the middle of the very
early stages (years) of Gardner's editing sprees. Our language is
much more archaic and more Masonic, as it was originally and a lot
more in the rituals themselves and has been maintained to this day
along our line. Over the years however, in other places, lines,
etc., it became less Masonic and less archaic and more streamlined,
(some of it obviously mixing up with the more elaborate and high
magick style of Alex Sanders and then softening down again).
Today, much of the public domain ritual is a mix of Gardner and
Alexandrian, but most preferring to revert to the Gardnerian after
all. (Janet Farrer was initiated by the Alexandrian system, but now
uses the Gardnerian. (There are certainly differences in the two,
especially the way all are brought into the Circle for the first
time. I personally like my old original wording and system and have
kept it exactly as it was passed down to me, along with the
Dedicant's Degree and other additional "first oath" rituals not much
found today except in the old lineages.
It is basically a scrap-book for you – yourself – and no one else –
unless they are copying what you are allowing them to copy – usually
the handed down stuff.
As there is no dogma in Wicca, it is entirely up to the individual
what he or she puts in his or her own book and is very personal
indeed. By the way, I am busy transferring my old and dusty notes
onto my shiny hard disk and might even back it up onto my CD of
Shadows. This makes it easier for me to print out notes for upcoming
ritual, rather than a big cumbersome book. Alex Sanders always used
a big old book he used to struggle with, especially his many outdoor
rituals and Gardner used to place his book on the Alter. I can have
notes, if I can't remember anything and in my own handed down ritual,
there is quite a bit of talking, so notes are a must and in small
batches more easier to handle – don't drop them though....whoops what
a mess…
The BOS is not your Magickal Diary though, which I always kept
separate and totally confidential. This is a record of your
workings, inner and outer and any other pertinent fact that you
consider to be included into it, such as dreams, significant and/or
meaningful coincidence(s) and spells or ritual, workings, etc. You
can then see how you are faring and what worked and what didn't. You
do not write down your magickal chants for a spell or working though,
neither do you draw and/or copy any sigil that was used in a spell or
working, as they have to be forgotten and destroyed, for it to
basically work at all.
Anyone from any practice, faith, ritual or belief system should keep
some form of private Magickal Diary – well in my humble view anyway…
BB
Azaz
Degree System
within Wicca Working Tools of Wicca
Elements of Witchcraft More Witch
Stuff
Theban
Script
With Thanks
