Virtual Grimoire 🕯📜🕯

Updated 25 July 2019

There are three parts: This is Part I.

PART II is here

PART III is here

Ancient Mediterranean studies, also known as Classics and Classical studies, is the interdisciplinary study of the ancient Mediterranean world, including archaeology, language, literature, culture, history, philosophy, religion, and archaeology.

A tremendous amount of scholarly information is available online without a paywall, including archaeology, art, atlases, biography, culture, epigraphy, history, languages, law, literature, magic, medicine, music, mythology, organizations and associations, papyrology, philosophy, poetry, popular culture, religion, and sports. While all of the sites listed offer open access material, a few do require payment for full access.

This update is double the size of the previous version (which is why it’s split into three parts). Hopefully the change from alphabetical order to breakdown by topics will be seen as an improvement.

Please feel free to advise me of any wonky links, to suggest additions or improvements.

I hope you will let me know if you find this compilation enjoyable or useful.

🏺 Featured art (above):

Muse reading a volumen (scroll), at the left an open chest. Attic red-figure lekythos, circs. 435-425 BCE. From Boeotia. Collection of the Louvre Museum, Paris. Photo by Jastrow (2006) via WIkimedia Commons (here)

Part I Contents:

Other metasites

Academic Journals

Archaeology

Art, Architecture, and Images

Associations

Bibliographies

Blogs and other sites of interest in the Classics

Epigraphy and Papyrology

Gender and Sexuality

Other metasites

The metasites on this list contain many links, and their contents may overlap somewhat with this compilation - and with each other. They’re worth sifting through, though, for unique focus and unexpected gems.

AWOL: The Ancient World Online - Notice and comment on open access material relating to the ancient world.

Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR) - timely open-access, peer-reviewed reviews of current scholarly work in the field of classical studies, including archaeology.

Catalog - OpenEdition Books - more than 7,000 free ebooks in academic subjects including the Arts and Humanities, Archaeology, and History.

The Classics Pages -  well over 1000 pages of news, information, games and controversy about the life, literature, philosophy, art and archaeology of the ancient world of Greece & Rome.

Classics Resources - a list posted at WordPress.

Digital Classicist Wiki -  events, bibliographies, publications (print and electronic).

Electronic Resources for Classicists - The Second Generation Developed and maintained by Maria Pantelia, University of California, Irvine.

Google Scholar

KIRKE - Catalog of Internet Resources for Classical Philology This is a German language site

Perseus Digital Library - a digital infrastructure for the humanities in general and classics in particular.

Pomeorium - classics links, databases, and antiquarian and used specialist books.

The Stoa Consortium - news and announcements for classicists.

UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004 - almost 2,000 free books from academic presses on a range of topics, including art, science, history, music, religion, and fiction.

Academic Journals

Most classics-related journals available online can be found on the following sites:

Classics Resources in Internet

DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals

Hacking Education: Download Research Papers and Scientific Articles for free

Journals in Classics that have a substantial on-line presence

JSTOR - digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

TOCS-IN (Tables of Contents of Journals of Interest to Classicists) - searchable  tables of contents of a selection of Classics, Near Eastern Studies, and Religion journals.

Archaeology

The AJA Learning Resources - an accessible starting point for those interested in a career in archaeology as well as a place to browse archaeological projects, databases, and image and bibliographic resources.

The AMPHORAS Project

Archaeopress Access Archaeology - monographs, conference proceedings, catalogues of archaeological material, excavation reports, doctoral theses and more.

The Archaeological Atlas of Antiquity

Archaeological Atlas of Coptic Literature by PAThs

Archaeology Expert -profiles of famous archaeologists, the basics of excavation with a glossary of terms, a variety of specializations within archaeology, key articles on important finds and artifacts, and information on how and where to find work on an archaeological dig.

Archaeology in the Community - a nonprofit organization that works to increase community awareness of the benefits of archaeology and history through public events, provide archaeology enrichment programs to students of all ages, and provides a professional development to college students interested in pursuing careers in archaeology.

The Archaeology Podcast Network - an educational resource with at least 18 shows, over 20 volunteer expert hosts, and an amazing back catalogue of content.

Breaking Ground: Women in Old World Archaeology - searchable database of pioneering women archaeologists.

Digital Archaeological Record

Digital Atlas of Ancient Egypt - a digital cultural map of archaeological sites in Egypt (ranging from the Predynastic to the Roman period.

Herculaneum in Pictures

Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology (OREA) - a permanent institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

SEAD, the Strategic Environmental Archaeology Database - past climates, environments and human impacts for environmental archaeology and Quaternary palaeoecology.

The Theban Mapping Project - comprehensive archaeological database of Thebes.

Troy - a collaboration between the University of Cincinnati’s Center for the Electronic Reconstruction of Historical and Archaeological Sites and the Troia Projekt of the University of Tübingen, Germany.

The Levantine Ceramics Project (LCP)

Pompeii in Pictures  - A complete photographic plan of ancient Pompeii as it is today.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme website - online database of archaeological finds made by members of the public in Wales and England. Also, a guide to coins and Bronze Age objects.

Security recommendations for historically important archaeological sites from ASIS International.

Survey Archaeology -  open knowledge base and communication platform for education and research regarding archaeological field-survey in the Mediterranean with information on projects, researchers, theory, methods and practice of survey archaeology and related areas, such as computer applications in archaeology. Home of the ArchaeoSurveyor project.

Trowelblazers - a celebration of women archaeologists, paleontologists and geologists.

Virtual Tours of Archaeological Museums

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield - a charitable, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the protection of cultural property worldwide during armed conflict.

The World Wide Web Library of African Archaeology - news, maps, bibliographies, and more.

Art, Architecture, and Images

A Day on the Acropolis in search of the goddess Athena

AEGARON - Ancient Egyptian Architecture Online - provides vetted and standardized architectural drawings of a selection of ancient Egyptian buildings. 

AIEMA (International Association for the Study of Ancient Mosaics)

Antinous - Virtual Museum of portrait sculpture from throughout the world.

Art History Resources on the Web

Art Images for College Teaching

ASPROM (The Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics) - ancient mosaics, and especially the Roman mosaics of Britain.

The Beazley Archive - the world’s largest collection of images of ancient figure-decorated pottery.

Body Language: How to Talk to Students about Nudity in Art 

The Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance - a  database registering antique monuments known in the Renaissance together with the related Renaissance documents in form of texts and image, including the antique monuments known to Johann Joachim Winckelmann and his contemporaries (Corpus Winckelmann) as well as the reception and adaption of antique art of the Middle Ages (Corpus Medii Aevi)

The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art: Stone Sculpture | MetPublications | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Classical Art Research Centre - Oxford University. Includes the Beazely Archive of ancient Greek painted pottery, Pottery database, Gem research, and Terracottas.

Colors of Classical Art - artworks from the perspective of color, an aspect of ancient art that is often under-represented in art historical literature.

Coptic Textiles from Ancient Egypt

The Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani (CSIR) -  sculptural heritage of the Roman Empire.

Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum - a series of high-quality catalogs of mostly ancient Greek painted pottery in collections around the world.

Digital Hadrian’s Villa Project - art database

The False Door - an e-book about Roman wall painting

Fayum Mummy Portraits - database from the University of Manchester/ Manchester Museum

Find Images - Selected Online Museum Collections:  These museums have been selected for the quality and scope of their online collections.

Getty Publications Virtual Library - Free digital backlist titles from the Getty Publications Archives

The Global Egyptian Museum

Greek Vase Shapes Teaching Poster - presented by the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The Image of the Black in Western Art

Introduction to Roman Architecture - video from Open Yale Courses

Last Statues of Antiquity Database

Media Center for Art History - Columbia University

MetPublications | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Minoan Epiphany - Introduction Xeste 3 fresco

Panoply Vase Animation Project

Pigments Through the Ages

Real ? Virtual: Representing Architecture in Time and Space Panoramic history of architecture from Columbia University

The Online Database of Ancient Art

Visualizing Statues in the Late Antique Roman Forum

World Myths and Legends in Art - presented by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Associations

The following list contains associations and classics-related journals with online sources not mentioned in the links above.

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology (ACUA) - an international advisory body working to educate scholars, governments, sport divers, and the general public about underwater archaeology and the preservation of underwater resources.

The American Classical League - access to the latest grant information, comprehensive teaching materials, and job placement resources for Classics teachers and teachers of classical studies and Greek and Latin languages in the classroom.

The Archaeological Society at Athens

ASOR: The American Schools of Oriental Research - supports and encourages the study of the cultures and history of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present.

Association of Ancient Historians - Ancient History professionals in the United States and Canada.

Association for the Study of Women & Mythology

Athens Institute for Education & Research

Australasian Classical Receptions Studies Network

The Australasian Society for Classical Studies

Center for Studies in Oral Tradition

The Classical Association of Canada  

The Classical Association of New England - many activities and resources, including the annual meeting in March, scholarships, discretionary grants, CANE’s own press, and New England Classical Journal (NECJ).

Classical Association of the Empire State

The Classical Association of the Middle West and South - Classical Resources on the Internet.

Comparative Mythology - published by the International Association for Comparative Mythology

The European Association for Archaeologists - for archaeologists and other related or interested individuals or bodies in Europe and beyond!

The Historical Association - furthering the study and teaching and enjoyment of history in all guises and forms: professional, public and popular.

International Society for Studies in Oral Tradition

Journal of Ancient History - covers all aspects of ancient history and culture from the Archaic Period to Late Antiquity (roughly the ninth century BCE through the eighth century CE). A few free articles are available online.

Kosmos Society - an online community for Classical Studies

MOISA: The International Society for the Study of Greek and Roman Music and its Cultural Heritage

Postclassicisms - a global research network dedicated to redefining the study of classical antiquity

Reception Study Society

The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies - founded in 1910 to advance the understanding of ancient Rome and the Roman Empire. Publishes The  Journal of Roman Studies.

The Society for Classical Studies - founded as the American Philological Association in 1869 for the study of ancient Greek and Roman languages, literatures, and civilizations. Offers teaching resources for K-12 and higher education.

Society for Early Modern Classical Reception

Society of Black Archaeologists - advocates to ensure the proper treatment of African and African diaspora material culture, raises and address concerns related to African peoples worldwide, and highlights the past and present achievements and contributions people of African descent have made to the field of archaeology.

The Sussex Egyptology Society (SES) - Egyptology-related news, lectures, and links.

Bibliographies

Ancient World Open Bibliographies - Notice and comment on open access material relating to the ancient world. Lots of bibliographies and a companion blog

Annotated Bibliography of Women in Classical Mythology

Cognitive Classics bibliography

Online Egyptological Bibliography (OEB) - an online collection of references in Egyptological literature, including records and abstracts from Annual Egyptological Bibliography, combined with Bibliographie Altägypten.

Nestor - an international bibliography of Aegean studies, Homeric society, Indo-European linguistics, and related fields.

ORB Online Encyclopedia - Online Bibliographies for Late Antiquity

Projekt Dyabola - Bibliographies on the subjects of Classical Archaeology, Etruscology, Minoan Archaeology and Prehistory. Other databases include museum collections.  WordPress Blog, Twitter

Scholarly Bibliographies Available Online: Classical Antiquity

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest in the Classics

Atlantides: Feed Aggregators for Ancient Studies

Classics and Social Justice

Classics At the Intersections

Classics for All - UK-based charity offers grants to support the study of Latin, Ancient History, Classical Civilization and Ancient Greek in state schools. Book reviews and Classics blog.

Classics Confidential – Podcasting Classicists, Sharing Research

Classical Studies Support

Database of Classical Scholars

Eidolon - an online journal for scholarly writing about Classics that isn’t formal scholarship.

History From Below – Musings on Daily Life in the Ancient and Early Medieval Mediterranean

Everyday Orientalism

Itinera Podcast

Institute of Classical Studies Blog

Mary Beard: A Don’s Life

ORIGINS Current Events in Historical Perspective Published by the History Departments at The Ohio State University and Miami University

rogueclassicism – quidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est

Sententiae Antiquae - a Classics blog 

The Sportula - microgrants for Classics students. Also twitter.com/libertinopatren

University of Michigan Press - open access books in Classical Studies

Women of Ancient History - a crowdsourced list of female ancient historians

Epigraphy and Papyrology

ancientscripts.com a compendium of world-wide writing systems from prehistory to today.

Associations in the Greco-Roman World - an expanding collections of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation.

The American Society of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (ASGLE)- a non-profit organization whose purpose is to further research in, and the teaching of, Greek and Latin epigraphy in North America. Includes online resources, abbreviations, and bookshelf.ancientscripts.com a compendium of world-wide writing systems from prehistory to today.

Ancient Egyptian scripts (hieroglyphs, hieratic and demotic)

Attic Inscriptions Online (AIO) -  inscriptions of ancient Athens and Attica in English translation.

CLAROS - Concordance of Greek inscriptions

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL) - a collection of squeezes, photographs and bibliographical references, sorted by inscription-number.

Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative

Dartmouth Ancient Books Lab – Historical Background and “How-To” Projects in Paleography, Papyrology, and Codicology

The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls

The Duke Papyrus Archive - electronic access to texts about and images of nearly 1400 papyri from ancient Egypt.

EDCS Epigraphik Datenbank Clauss - Slaby

Epigraphic Database Heidelberg (EDH) - Latin and bilingual inscriptions from the provinces of the Roman Empire contains about 74.300 inscriptions at present.

Epigraphic Database Roma (EDR) - Greek and Latin inscriptions up to the 7th century A.D.

Epigraphical database of Greek inscriptions - from the Packard Humanities Institute

Epigraphical database of Latin inscriptions - Manfred Clauss / Anne Kolb / Wolfgang A. Slaby

The Europeana Network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy (EAGLE)

Gnomon Bibliographic Database - a searchable database of Latin inscriptions.

Greek and Latin Inscriptions - a collection of digitized squeezes (accurate paper impressions) of inscriptions from Greece, Italy, and Macedonia

Hispania Epigraphica - Roman inscriptions from the Iberian peninsula.

The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania

Mysteries at Eleusis - Images of ancient inscriptions on stone from Eleusis.

Online Resources for the Study of Greek Epigraphy

POxy: Oxyrhynchus Online - A guide and online database for the Oxyrhynchus Papyri.

Papyri.info - The Papyrological Navigator (PN) and the Papyrological Editor (PE)

The Packard Humanities Institute - Searchable Greek Inscriptions

The Papyrology Homepage

Roman Inscriptions of Britain Online

St Andrews Corpus - Egyptian texts

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae® (subscription)and The Abridged TLG® (open access) - digital library of Greek literature from Antiquity to the present.

Unicode fonts for ancient scripts

U.S. Epigraphy Project -  a database of some 750 Greek and 1,700 Latin inscriptions in the USA, with links to search englines and epigraphy sites.

Vindolanda Tablets Online - a searchable online edition of the tablets, an introduction to the tablets and their context,  and a guide to aspects of the tablets’ content.

Gender and Sexuality

A Picture of Women Weaving in the History, Art, and Literature of Ancient Greece - Mansfield University

Diotima - Materials for the study of women and gender in the ancient world

Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Homosexuality in Greece and Rome: a sourcebook of basic documents in translation

People with a History: An Online Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History - Links to primary sources and papers

Women in the Ancient World - the status, role and daily life of women in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, Athens, Israel and Babylonia

Women in Classical Athens by By Jørgen Christian Meyer

Women’s History Sourcebook - primary and secondary sources for time periods including Ancient Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome

Women’s Life in Greece and Rome by by Mary R. Lefkowitz and Maureen B. Fan

Solar Edge.

Twitter / Instagram / Gumroad / Patreon  

If you are feel called to work but are tired/drained, sit outside. Take in all the energies around you. Nature can help charge you

Every witch does a little bit of a bunch of types of magic but sticks mainly to one or two in general. You usually won't be eclectic forever. You'll find what magics work best with you.

Never be lazy or cut corners with spirits. Always be respectful and always tell them to leave when you're done

When you see a plant or ingredient with a long list of properties, there are different things at play. Season of collection, the part of the plant, the health of the plant, etc all play a role in impacting which properties it will carry.

Don't call on spirits unless you have confidence and control

Be careful with sea/water magic. Get into it gently and slowly until you have the energy figured out because it can get out of hand quickly.

Adding a little pinch of magic into your breakfast can make a major difference in your day.

Your personal emotions/feelings over something will impact a work

Planting some plants is good, not only to have a garden, but the dirt helps cleanse you too. Get all dirty and muddy. It's good for ya

Not all trees are nice

The more you listen to your intuition, the easier it will be to tell it apart from your anxieties and worries

Incense is very easy to make which is why it's usually cheap to buy. But you can find a million tutorials online on how to make your own personal incense which is great if you want a spell to take effect over a while but also want to infuse the fire energy in it.

The more you work with something the better feel you get for it. Cinnamon goes in almost everything i cook and most of my spells because me and cinnamon just get right along

Similar to my grimoire guide, this is a guide on deity journals.

What Is A Deity Journal?

A deity journal is a journal dedicated to a deity. It’s filled with information, offerings, devotional pieces, etc. If you like journaling or can’t give other physical offerings (like food, libations, etc.), it’s one of the best offerings out there.

What Do I Use For It?

Usually deity journals are physical journals and notebooks. Binders and folders work as well. I have seen deity journals online, using things like Notion or Google Docs. Those are a little harder to format, but are great if you don’t have a notebook or aren’t a fan of physical journals.

So, What Do I Put In It?

Devotional Artwork

Devotional Playlists

Pressed/Dried Flowers or Herbs

Prayers

Devotional Poems or Stories

Myths

Recipes

Stickers

Experiences or Dreams

Photos

The Basics (Name, Epithets, Domains, Family, Associations, Holidays, Symbols, Sacred Days, Sacred Animals, Etc.)

Spells/Rituals That You Want To Or Have Done With Them

Offerings And Devotional Act Ideas

Journal Prompts

Magazine/Book Cutouts

Hymns

Shopping List (Things You Want To Buy For Them)

Fabric Scraps

Letters To Them

Divination Readings With Them

Coins Or Other Currencies

How You Celebrate (Or Plan To) Holidays Or Sacred Days With Them

UPGs

Altar Plans (Drawings Or Descriptions Of Altar Ideas)

Incense, Herb, And Oil Blends

Drops Of Wax, Wine, Etc.

Seed Packets

Blessings

Charms

Charm/Spell Bags

Travel Plans (Places You Want To Go For Your Deity)

Maps That Remind You of Them

Sigils Dedicates To Them

Superstitions Related To Them

Research On Their Birth Place

Devotional Jewelry Charging Station

Affirmations Dedicated/Influenced By Them

Small Sticks Or Branches

Book Annotations

Divination Techniques Related To Them

Relationship Goals (Better Communication, More Signs, Etc.)

Their Associated Rune/Tarot Card/Etc.

Teas And Tea Blends

Folklore/Mythology Entities Related To Them

Vision Board

Goals

Diary Entries And Rants

Taglocks

Paper/Straw/Etc. Dolls

Doodles

•Their names in Ancient Greek, transliterated, translated, and pronunciation •Epithets (traditional and upg) •Favourite myths •Retelling/interpretation of the myths •Other information about Them •A photo or drawing of how They appear to you or that you think of as resembling Them •Delphic maxims •Key words in both languages and what they mean •An altar page or photo of an altar •Hymns, prayers, poems and stories •Pictures of other things you’ve made for Them •Updates on skills you’re learning in worship of Them •Letters you write to Them about anything at all (could just be telling them about your day or whatever) •Specific tarot spreads •Readings and conversations you’ve had with Them •Sacred animals/plants/colours/food/symbols etc (or just ones that make you think of Them) •Drawings/paintings/collages for Them •Experiences and encounters •Worship days/holidays/celebrations •Ideas for things you could do/make/give in offering (including low spoons devotional ideas) •Playlists •Books and movies that remind you of them •Aesthetic and word associations lists •Places that remind you of Them •Any other upg stuff •Quotes •Any signs or dreams etc you think might have been from them •Checklists for things you want to do for Them or have done and want to do again •Stick in pictures or dried flowers •Charities or other causes you can give to

I adore obscure gods. The only issue with loving obscure gods is that they are obscure; not much information is available. Some gods have entire cultus that span across the ancient world with an abundance of information. Others, however, are sometimes only mentioned in an epic a few times or are only found in rare archaeological records. Honouring an obscure god can mean a lot of devotional work to honour them fully.

Experience will be the guiding factor. After worshipping obscure gods for a while, it’s become easier for me to honour them properly. Trust that moving time will teach you what you need — you can do it. Now, here are my tips for honouring obscure deities.

Obtain every scrap of information

Every detail matters. There is bound to be something to help you understand this obscure deity. Whether that’s directly seeing the artifacts that are recorded, reading academic interpretations, seeing them in texts, etc. Analysing their depictions in art will be especially useful, as that is how that deity was envisioned and worshipped.

When it comes to very contradictory interpretations by scholars, it may be helpful to make your own or apply UPG to come to your conclusion.

Study the world that worshipped them

The ancient world was very different and similar to our own. All events need to be put in context. The ways a god is worshipped may change, evolve, or be removed entirely. Or perhaps they just appeared in a particular period, never to be worshiped until the modern day. I recommend this book series, the Routledge Worlds series, which covers the world — ancient or modern — across the expanses.

However, always remember to keep the evidence in the context of the times. Callimachus’ hymns will not be the same as Homeros, for example. They are removed by hundreds of years and long-lost contexts. The date, location, historical events — all of it must be kept in mind when analysing data.

Use general/typical offerings when beginning

A big hurdle in worship is knowing what to offer. An easy way to avoid this is to give “general” offerings. In helpol, this can be wine, for example. Water is a very versatile choice too. Each religion will have its particular codes and rules, so knowing these rules and applying them to the obscure deity you are trying to worship will help. However, most of all, you will eventually gain the UPG you need to know what to offer.

If possible, see what the worshippers offered historically. A great way to find out what to offer is to find what they were offered in the past. You will likely find this information in the papers about the deity. Zoological and archaeological records may contain trace details of food and other devotional gifts.

Take note of all UPG

Every scrap of UPG will be helpful. Others may present upg around a similar figure, or you may develop a strong SPG. These personal tidbits of gnosis will make up a large majority of your worship. Keep the knowledge somewhere where you will keep track of it — a blog, a notebook, etc. It would be a poor choice to let the UPG be forgotten (though if you forget, that is alright — forgetting is natural and not your fault. Do not blame yourself). This tip also applies to SPG, especially if it comes from outside groups or people.

Study Syncretisms

The process of syncretism can reveal a lot about a deity’s character. Particularly in regards to who they are syncretised with. Historical syncretisms made sense to those worshipping the god, so what did they know what we do not? Knowledge can be gathered via historical syncretism and why it occurred.

Historical syncretism could also lead to you reconstructing that very syncretism. It all depends upon you and your lovely path.

Identify who they were worshipped with and why

Another clue is who a deity is worshipped with. Was the god worshipped with a spouse, their child, a sibling, or because of a shared domain/association? It all depends upon context and sometimes interpretation. When reconstructing worship, continuing that shared worship may be an excellent option to honour this obscure deity.

Try to identify associations

Deity information lists often include their associations. They show what the deity likes, wear, etc. Associations are helpful to know when seeking to honour a god. Finding these associations can help you develop worship and altars. Common associations are weapons and accessories - they can be seen in art and sometimes cultus. You will most likely find a deity’s associations in art, epithets if they have them, and offerings.

Ask the deity themself

Who is better to ask how to worship the deity than the deity in question? Communication is key. You could even pray for more information to come your way about them. Devotional work is ultimately about the god in question, so definitely make sure to ask them and see if they reply.

I hope my tips from my experience can help you build your worship. As you learn and grow, you will honour the obscure deity or deities you are researching. From personal experience, I can tell you it is well worth it.

TLDR; worshipping obscure gods is beautiful but can be difficult. My tips to help you develop a praxis are: obtain every scrap of information, study the world that worshipped them, use general/typical offerings when beginning, take note of all upg, try to identify associations, and ask the deity themself.

If you are feel called to work but are tired/drained, sit outside. Take in all the energies around you. Nature can help charge you

Every witch does a little bit of a bunch of types of magic but sticks mainly to one or two in general. You usually won't be eclectic forever. You'll find what magics work best with you.

Never be lazy or cut corners with spirits. Always be respectful and always tell them to leave when you're done

When you see a plant or ingredient with a long list of properties, there are different things at play. Season of collection, the part of the plant, the health of the plant, etc all play a role in impacting which properties it will carry.

Don't call on spirits unless you have confidence and control

Be careful with sea/water magic. Get into it gently and slowly until you have the energy figured out because it can get out of hand quickly.

Adding a little pinch of magic into your breakfast can make a major difference in your day.

Your personal emotions/feelings over something will impact a work

Planting some plants is good, not only to have a garden, but the dirt helps cleanse you too. Get all dirty and muddy. It's good for ya

Not all trees are nice

The more you listen to your intuition, the easier it will be to tell it apart from your anxieties and worries

Incense is very easy to make which is why it's usually cheap to buy. But you can find a million tutorials online on how to make your own personal incense which is great if you want a spell to take effect over a while but also want to infuse the fire energy in it.

The more you work with something the better feel you get for it. Cinnamon goes in almost everything i cook and most of my spells because me and cinnamon just get right along

Hey beautifuls,

I’ve compiled a checklist in booklet format of pretty much anything I could think of or find online that you could include in your Grimoire/book of shadows. Please note that this is a very very broad list and you do not need to include absolutely everything listed. Pick and choose what matches your craft!

also if you would like a non-watermarked PDF print version (digital file) I’m offering this for just $3 AUD. You can direct message me here on tumblr or on my Insta account “@beautifulvalleywitch”.

Otherwise enjoy this free version lovely’s 🥰🥰

So! I have been seeing a ton of grimoire ideas and thought I’d stuff them all together. A lot of ideas are from @manifestationsofasort, @banebite, and @pigeonflavouredcake. Check them out! They have a ton of cool stuff there.

What Do I Use For My Grimoire?

You can use anything for a grimoire! For a physical one, journals, binders, and notebooks are good. For digital ones, Notion, Tumblr, Docs, and even just your file folder are great.

Introduction

A Book Blessing

Table of Contents

About Me

Your Current Path

Your Personal Beliefs

Your Spiritual Journey

Superstitions

Past lives

Favorite Herbs/Crystals/Animals/Etc.

Natal Chart

Craft Name

How You Entered The Craft

Astrology Signs

Birthday Correspondences (birth tarot card, birth stone, etc.)

Goals

Safety

Fire Safety

What Not to Burn

Toxic Plants & Oils (to humans, plants, animals)

Crystals That Shouldn’t Be Put… (in sun, in water, etc.)

Things That Shouldn’t Be In Nature (glass, salt, etc.)

Potion Safety

How to Incorporate Blood in Spells

Smoke Safety

Wound Care

Biohazards

Core Concepts

Intention & How It Works

Directing Energy

Protection

Banishing

Cleansing

Binding

Charging

Shielding

Grounding

Centering

Visualization

Consecration/Blessing

Warding

Enchanting

Manifestation

Meditation

What Makes A Spell Work

Basic Spell Structure

What Not To Do In Spells

Disposing Spell Ingredients

Revitalizing Long Term Spells

How To Cast Spells

What To Put In Spells

Spell Mediums (jars, spoken, candle, sigils)

Spell Timing

Potion Bases

Differentiating Between Magick and Mundane

Common Terms

Common Symbols

Intuition

Elements

Basic Alchemy and Symbols

Ways To Break Spells

Laws and Philosophies

Correspondences

Herbs & Spices

Crystals & Rocks

Colors

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List of Spells

Cryptids and Their Lore

I remember when I was first starting out with building a grimoire and getting frustrated with how few resources there are on what a grimoire is supposed to be. I wanted clear directions and examples of what to include, but I mostly found YouTubers giving vague descriptions and repeating over and over again that it's extremely personal and private so they wouldn't say anything specific. As a neurodivergent person, it was very frustrating to try to figure out what to do from that. It took me a while to figure out what my own specifics were, so for any beginner witches out there, here are some specific ideas for starting off! Once you get more used to it, it'll get easier and easier to figure out what you do and don't want to include.

I'd recommend researching sigils and creating one to protect your grimoire; I placed mine on the second page after I dedicated the notebook for it, but you can put it wherever you feel like

Dates of moon cycles/information on how they affect your practice

Wheel of the year/sabbats if you celebrate them

Record rituals for sabbats if you choose to do anything for them, that way you have a reference for next year

Information on the elements- earth, air, fire, water, and/or spirit depending on your practice

Information on herbs or crystals you have- I like to print out pictures to include with the correspondences and leave space to write down specific things I use them for

Also, a quick reference list of ways you can care for individual crystals will be very helpful if you use them! Pay extra attention to which ones are sensitive to sun or water, it'll save you crystals later on

Basics of tarot, runes, or other divination methods

Color correspondences!

Information on zodiac signs; I printed out my star chart and put it in

When you do spellwork, write down everything you did and date it. Later you can come back and update whether it worked, what the effects were, and tweak it if necessary- basically treat it like a magic recipe book

A grimoire is not the same as a journal- if you want to write down personal reflections on meditation or your emotional experiences, I would suggest using a separate notebook for those things.

While I understand why people are so hesitant to show their grimoires, I have no qualms with showing a few pages for example purposes. However, I would suggest that you don't share anything that is personalized to your craft to others unless you can 100% guarantee that they won't cause you harm with it.

The only reason I'm ok with putting pictures on here is because they're full of basic information that anyone with Google could find and nothing that's specific to me.

With that being said, here are a few examples from my own grimoire as a reference!