Introduction:

What is a Book of Shadows?

Also known as the workbook spell book, mirror book or grimoire as well as various other names. This book is where you will record all of your invocations, ritual patterns, spells, runes, rules governing magic, ceremonies, magical recipes, etc. before use. When you are doing a ritual or spell you should be reading it from your own notes. Some use one large book some use several books (spell book, journal book of magical happenings, dream book, etc.) These records serve as a valuable reference for the practicing witch as well as being a source of inspiration and learning for future rituals and spellwork. A Book Of Shadows may be the traditionally bound and covered in regular leather or other fancier animal skins, or any other 'natural bound' book with unlined parchment (with virgin parchment). As with all tools the more natural and the more personalized the better it will be for you. 

I use various notebooks and three ring binders. The binders make it very easy to reorganize and you can even put frequently used pages in protective covering. I have two mini spiral bound books that fit into my travel altar box (one for spells and rituals and one for notes and correspondence information), a full size spiral notebook of black paper that I use gel pens with (very easy to read by candle light) I write my own spells in this one, and a large three ring binder with things I have printed off the web, notes taken from books, correspondences charts and so on. I am going to move everything but the travel stuff to a new three ring binder very soon. You can cover your three ring binder with cloth and even sew magical herbs into the cover. You can decide if you want to spend a bunch of money on your BOS or remember that you will be changing and updating often and go with a regular paper of some sort. I feel that all paper is made from plants and therefore is acceptable for use once it has been cleansed.   

In our modern times some BOS are even electronic. Although this is convenient most feel it is important to empower your BOS by writing spells and rituals personally. If yours is kept on your computer or a disk you should at least have an additional journal for your spells, rituals and to record transformations. I keep a lot of reference materials (correspondences and such) on the computer/web page but keep a full Book of Shadows for actual ritual work. 

Some also believe the more important works should be translated in magical language for either secrecy (secrecy was more needed in the past then in present times), empowerment (the more you put into something, the more your get out of it), or simply desire. 

Many magical translation tables and alphabets can be found in books or on the web. You may also make your own.

Links to help with your Book of Shadows:

(sorry if any are out of date I am really behind on keeping up this page)