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 Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 2:43 pm
This pickled vegetable...How do you write your Book of Shadows?
* Do you organize it in any particular way, or do you write it chronologically like a journal?
* Do you write in first person or do you write as if you were explaining it to a third party?
* Is it messy, or do you try to keep things neat?
* Do you keep your BoS secret? If so, how do you do this?
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And this is just a side question: Why must a BoS be secret? The information within it won't change if someone else reads it, so what's the point? ... could kick your a** !!
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Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:19 pm
Traditionally they've been kept secret, but I think in some part that was more out of fear of prosecution, rather than any specific reasoning. Of course it really depends on what Tradition you are a part of, because in some cases there is oath-bound material in one's BOS and in those cases it would need to be kept - if not secret - then at least of the hands of others who do not share the same oaths, otherwise one becomes an oath-breaker.
A while back I bought a really nice 3 ring binder and some spiffy paper to put in it. The thought was that I would spend some time putting together certain things/thoughts, etc... that relate to my path. As of yet, I've not actually put it all together. sweatdrop I figure when the time is right, I'll get around to it.
Lacking a formal BOS, I (for the most part) keep what I need either in my head, or in files on my computer. To me it's a lot more organized and easier to edit things as needed. I also have a fairly decent collection of books, so I can refer to those when all else fails.
When I write, it's usually as if I were explaining it to a 3rd party, that way if there is some part of it I want to share with others - it's already written from that perspective.
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Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:44 pm
Like sweet i don't really have a formal one mine is made up mainly of my bookmarked folders and my tiny 2 book library. I'm still learning a lot and well my laptop is a perfect place to hold material so my mum won't see/find it ,thank the gods she is computer illiterate, and freak out... again
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Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:24 am
too2sweet Of course it really depends on what Tradition you are a part of, because in some cases there is oath-bound material in one's BOS and in those cases it would need to be kept - if not secret - then at least of the hands of others who do not share the same oaths, otherwise one becomes an oath-breaker. The tradition that I believe you're alluding to keeps their BoS secret because it contains not only their craft but also the secrets of their religion. That I can understand keeping secret, its just witches in general that that question was referring to. What reasons would a witch who's not a member of an oath-bound mystery religion and, in fact, does not incorporate their religion into their craft have for keeping their BoS secret?
I've asked this question in other places and gotten answers as ridiculous as "It diminishes the spells power." Or "It corrupts the book's knowledge."
Maybe if this hypothetical reader were changing things that were written in the book it would, but I honestly don't see how simply reading it would effect anything. ... could kick your a** !!
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Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:11 am
I think the whole thing with keeping spells a secret is the thought that if too many people read the spell while it's being work, the energy gets stretched to thin and thus gets diminished. Personally though, depending on the spell, I think it actually increases the energy.
Keeping the BoS itself secret might be out of fear. Before I left my parent's house, I could only work out of ready written books, which I had to keep hidden as well. If they saw me writing my own stuff, they would have flipped. And yes... I was over the age of 18 when I started practicing.
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Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:16 pm
Renkon Root What reasons would a witch who's not a member of an oath-bound mystery religion and, in fact, does not incorporate their religion into their craft have for keeping their BoS secret? I've asked this question in other places and gotten answers as ridiculous as "It diminishes the spells power." Or "It corrupts the book's knowledge." Maybe if this hypothetical reader were changing things that were written in the book it would, but I honestly don't see how simply reading it would effect anything. But the truth is that words do have power. So while just reading it may not necessarily be an issue, it's what some people might do with the information after reading it, that could be. In this day and age - where you can find almost anything on the internet, it's probably not so much a big deal as it once was, but I'm a big fan of the "Witch's Pyramid"... To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Be SilentTo me, the "silent" part is simply that there is no big need to go shouting out to everyone about what one does (unless one is looking for attention). I don't think it's so much diminishing the power of the "spell", as diminishing the focus of the person casting, as they will have their energies being "wasted" (for lack of a better word), dealing with the attention they are getting.
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 1:41 pm
* Do you organize it in any particular way, or do you write it chronologically like a journal?
I have two one is a binder with sections in it like one for hurbs, and one for Sabbats, other infoe, ect. My second on is done in a journal and done in chronological order. It contains things like dreams/ night tarares (which ever), descriptions of meditations, what I've seen in my fire scrying, plans I have about my fucture and my life and the things I'd like to do on my path, and how I want to set my altar for seran holidays, ect.
* Do you write in first person or do you write as if you were explaining it to a third party?
In my binder version I write as if I'm talking to a third party, but in my journal version I talk in first person.
* Is it messy, or do you try to keep things neat?
I try to keep things neet in case I need to look back on it to remember some thing. Every thing has a cleare title and in my journal I have the date and time next to the entree.
* Do you keep your BoS secret? If so, how do you do this?
I don't keep my binder a compleat secret, if some one asks me for inmfoe and I know I have it writen in there. I'll take it down and show them what they're looking for, but I do have it hidden.
My journal virsion is my secret though I don't allow any one to see it or even touch it, its kinda my safe haven if you will, and I don't want other ppl. in it. I do this by hiding it (i'm not saying where c.); and as an extra percosion I wrote the entire thing in the theban alphabet, just incase.
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