✨️10 Things I always Include in My New Grimoire/Book Of Shadows✨️
I'm getting to the end of my second grimoire (prior to this I'd have random stuff in school notebooks that I unfortunately don't have anymore) so I thought it'd be fitting to talk about the stuff I benefited from copying over into my second Grimoire along with what I will most likely put into my third Grimoire.
Please Note: for my journey a Grimoire is the most fitting way for me to describe my preferred method of transcribing what I learn. As a result I will be referring to a Grimoire the whole time but this knowledge can be generally applied to other witchy books meant to hold knowledge.
To help with dictinctions:
Anything with an asterisk* indicates I regretted not including it before
Anything without is stuff I've included and benefitted from having on hand
1. The Elements and Their Correspondences
What I Include in this entry:
- A page dedicated to each element
- Tarot Card, Astrological sign, Color, Crystal, and Herb correspondes (condensed down to crystals and herbs I'm guaranteed to use)
- a vague list with ideas on what this element embodies vibe wise (for example: Earth can represent success, stability or fertility)
- A page dedicated to ideas on how I can work with each element
- how to invoke and banish an element with a pentacle
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
It makes for a very useful reference point when doing spellwork. I can easily see if I can use elemental symbolism and how I can incorporate it.
It also can be nice to reference if I'm celebrating a holiday that embodies the energy of a specific element. I can reference the page for ideas on herbs to use while cooking, colors I can incorporate, etc.
2. Moon Phases, Time, and Seasonal Correspondences
What I include in this Entry:
- a drawing of each moon phase along with about three adjectives to describe the phase
- lists of associations for each time of day
- a chart of the cardinal directions and which season and element corresponds with each one
Why I find this Entry Useful:
It might sound weird that I have all of this stuff condensed down into one entry but hear me out: it's so much nicer to plan rituals and spellwork when all you have to do is look through two pages??? Especially if your first grimoire has all of these entries in more detail (which I heavily reccomend so all of the knowledge is still recorded somewhere), it's nice to know you can easily access the basics without reading every little detail, and then you can always go back to your old grimoire when you need to access more information on the topic.
3. Cartomancy/Tarot
What I Include in this Entry:
- very brief definition of Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and Court Cards
- elemental correspondences of minor arcana plus what they symbolize
- what each court card symbolizes
- a numerology "cheat sheet"
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
This is one of those things that will not be helpful for everyone but since I practice tarot frequently it's perfect for me. Even if you're not a big tarot person I at least reccomend you pick something you do a lot and create a condensed version for you to review when you need it!
4. The Witches Compass/Opening and Closing Circles
What I Include in this Entry:
- a brief explanation on why you'd use one
- a step by step guide on how you would open and close one
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
Even though I don't always utilize the Witches' Compass or a standard magic circle, I like to have a condensed form written in case I need to perform a ritual but don't have the space to lug around multiple books.
5. Alters, Shrines, and Temples
What I Include in This Entry:
- Definitions of each word
- a list of examples of types of alters
- a general run-down on what typically goes on an altar
- ideas on how to decorate an altar
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
I actually don't have an altar space currently, but I do find it useful to have inspiration on hand in case I need it. I also just find it useful to have the distinctions on hand in case I'm cross referencing my research.
6. Warding and Defensive Magic*
What I Include in this Entry:
- a list of types of wards with minor guidance on how to use them if I don't use them often
- ways I can use defensive magic if things go wrong
-When to ward/When not to ward a space
- a page dedicated to the Witches Ladder, how to make one, and I typically include one of my own spells with it.
- a page dedicated to a basic house protection spell
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
This is one of the topics I didn't copy over into my current Grimoire but really regret not doing. Since I like to dabble in Astral travel and a huge part of my practice is working with the in between this knowledge is nice to have on hand.
I'm personally of the school of thought that you don't need to ward everything at all times, however if you're like me and you do a warding spell every once in a while and then you forget how to do it... yeah might be nice to just always have it freshly recorded so you're not rifling through all of your stuff.
7. Magical Excersizes from Books, Media, Etc.
What I Include In This Entry:
- the source I got the excersize from
- what the goal of the excersize is
- a step-by-step rundown
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
It's especially nice when you're dealing with burnout or a mental block. It's also oddly refreshing to occasionally do one.
Now, I wouldn't reccomend having every magical exercise you've ever done in your new Grimoire, but I usually pick three or four that I really like and write them down.
8. About Me Page*
What I Include In This Entry:
- Deities I mainly Venerate
- What magical "paths" or ways of life I tend to follow
- How I feel about my practice (Do I need to improve in some areas? Do I feel lost? Etc.)
- Things I want to explore more or do more
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
This is another entry I seriously regret not including more. With my first Grimoire (that I didn't lose) it served as a good spot to check in order to see my growth, look for anything I hadn't learned yet but wanted to learn, and it served as a nice sentimental peice to look back on.
Some may not benefit from having an entry like this, but others may find they'll benefit from it like I do!
9. A Basic Guide on Fae Species (or other entities depending on your practice)
What I Include in this Entry:
- I usually pick about 8-10 Fae to make an entry on and I try to keep it in a broad, diverse range.
- A picture depicting each thing
- Name of species
- Anecdotes on their temperament, how you can avoid pissing them off, etc.
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
As a Celtic Pagan it feels right for me to have an entry that includes the Fae even though I avoid interacting with them when possible. I've also generally had a sort of fixation on the Fae and their way of life since I was young so it's a little something that speaks to my heart and my passions as well.
If you want to look at this more practically, having a guide of common entities can be good in case you encounter one that way you have a sort of code of conduct written down.
10. List of Herbs I Commonly Use and their Correspondences
What I Include in this Entry:
- Household herbs I can easily find in the pantry
- items I can easily forage and use from outside
Why I Find this Entry Useful:
My first ever list of herbs was basically every Herb under the sun and how I could use it. Did I use any of those herbs? Heck no! Now I keep a small, condensed list of stuff I actually use and have easy access to and if I use anything I'm not used to that's when I reference my giant list.
Not all of these topics may personally speak to you, but I hope that at least some of them could help you decide what you'd like to include in your own books!
