Emporiblog - Book of Shadows or Grimoire

Hello all!! In today's post I'll be discussing the difference between a Book of Shadows and a Grimoire.

If you've seen any occult/Witch films or TV shows or read any Witchcraft based fictional/non fiction books, you've probably heard of a Book of Shadows and almost definitely heard of a Grimoire. Those that have been on the Path for a while will be able to differentiate between the two but for those of us who are new or coming back after a long break may need a bit of guidance.

What is a Book of Shadows?

A Book of Shadows or BOS is mainly used in Paganism and Wiccan paths to keep information on traditions (usually magical/ritual related).  There are some that say a BOS should be handwritten but some will store their BOS on a laptop/computer or a phone/tablet. 

Personally, I'd prefer handwritten as I feel that it would give me more of a connection to the book itself but, I'd type out the information on a document on my phone as my phone is nearly always with me and easier to carry.

A BOS is part of a number of sacred tools so it should be treated with respect and cleansed along with other items e.g Tarot, crystals, Athame etc. 

One should endeavour to keep their BOS as organised as possible so I would suggest making several drafts first on separate pieces of paper (keep them tucked away safely) and then copy the final draft into your BOS. You can also create a contents or an index or use tabbed dividers. If you're copying a Spell from another source, don't forget to write down where you found it!

Here's a list of possible things to include in your BOS:

- Coven Laws and Personal traditions. If you belong to a Coven, it's a good idea to write down your Coven's rules and the rules of magic in general. If you're a solitary practitioner, you may have your own rules to follow.

- Information on Deities. Not everyone works closely with a deity but, even if you only call on them occasionally, it's a good idea to know what they're associated with and what is an acceptable offering to give thanks. This can also include Angels a demons to some extent.

- Charts. It's best to keep a Wheel of the Year somewhere in your BOS so you can refer to it. Crystal and herb/plant charts will be beneficial to your practice as will colour and element charts and all of the above correspond with eachother in some way. As the Lunar cycle changes every year, I'd recommend using a separate piece of paper that you can change at the beginning of the new year.

- Recipes. These recipes can be for Kitchen Witchcraft or for incense/herb and oil blends.

- Spells. It's important to write down any Spells and rituals you do, step by step, in as much detail as possible so you can look back on and possibly change things if you didn't get the result you wanted. However, some people prefer to keep their Spells in a separate book called a Grimoire.

Which brings us, quite nicely, to the second part of this post!

What is a Grimoire?

A Grimoire also known as a Book of Spells, is a book comprised of Spells, rituals, divinations, invocations, charms and the like. Traditionally, the contents of a Grimoire is strictly Spell related with lists of magical tools, ingredients and when best to cast to get the most potency from your Spell/ritual.

The word Grimoire is of European origin, however, many other cultures and religions have their own versions of Grimoires that have existed for just as long, if not longer.

Some of the first 'Grimoires' can be traced back to Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

There are also mentions of Grimoires in the stories of Moses and in very early Christianity in connection to the Book of Enoch.

When Christianity became the dominant religion of Ancient Rome, books connected to magic where deemed heathen and burned for being connected with Paganism.

Numerous figures throughout history that have been associated with Magic and knowledge of magic will most likely have ties to some form of Grimoire. In Mediaeval times when Christianity began to rise, Magic was spit into 2 categories: 

- Natural Magic

- Demon Magic

Natural magicks where acceptable as they were seen as they were seen as taking note of and exploring the powers of God. 

In the 15th century, printing allowed books to become more available however, the Protestant and Catholic reformations, followed by subsequent witch-hunts (more on those horrendous events in a separate post) still made it hard for Grimoires to be safely produced and distributed.

In modern times, the term Grimoire is more commonly used in fantasy roleplay games and fantasy books/TV series. The Necronomicom, by H. P. Lovecraft, is considered one of the more well known fantasy Grimoires. Most occult TV shows will alude to something called The Grand Grimoire, which is usually an ancient tome of dark/forbidden magicks.

Conclusion

So, from this, I can tell that there is a major difference between a BOS and a Grimoire as a BOS can contain multiple chapters of varying information but a Grimoire should be for information on Spell/rituals.

There is no right or wrong way to make a BOS or Grimoire. They are personal books so you can put whatever you want in them. There are always going to be people who will tell you what you can and cannot put into them but your path is your own personal path. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post! Tomorrow is the return of our Animal Symbolism series!

Blessings,

C )0(

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

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