To make a Book of Shadows

• Begin with a blank book (or a 3-ring binder, if you want to add/subtract/rearrange rituals)
• Write any rituals, spells, invocations, and magical information that you have either composed or found elsewhere and would like to preserve
• All Books of Shadows are suggestions as to ritual, not "holy writ"--never feel tied down to these words.
• It is a good idea to copy your spells and rites by hand. Be sure your copies are legible by flickering firelight.

Music and dance

• Less intellectual rituals can be more effective precisely because they bypass the conscious mind and speak to the deep consciousness, the psychic awareness.
• If you find your rites stuffy and unsatisfying, the problem may be a lack of emotional content. Music and dance can produce true involvement in the ritual. During magic they may produce freer access to energy.
• You might find appropriate pieces of music selected from classical, ethnic, folk, or contemporary sources, and play these during rituals. You may incorporate natural sounds. (I prefer to record them on old tapes.)

The Mirror Book

• This is a magical record of your progress in Wicca.
• It can be anything from a locked diary to a spiral-bound notebook. In it, record all thoughts and feelings about Wicca, the results of your readings, magical successes and failures, doubts and fears, significant dreams--even mundane concerns. This book is for your eyes only. No one else need ever read it.
• This book is a mirror of your spiritual life. As such it is quite valuable in assessing your progress in Wicca and life itself. Thus, when reading over the book, you become your own teacher. Notice problem areas and take steps to resolve them.
• The best time to record such information is directly before sleep. Date each entry and, if you wish, also include the moon's phase and any astronomical information that might be pertinent (lunar phases, eclipses, weather).
• One of the goals of the Wicca is self-knowledge; the Mirror Book is a valuable tool in achieving this.

Gesture

• Protective gestures, used to avert the evil eye and negativity:
  • mano figa (a hand clenched into a fist, the thumb jutting out between the first and middle fingers)
  • mano cornuta (a "v" formed by the first and little fingers and held upside down)

The Days of Power

• full moons
• Yule, winter solstice (c. December 21) - rebirth
• Imbolc, Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brigid's Day (February 2) - earliest beginnings of spring, purification after the shut-in life of winter through the renewing power of the sun
• Ostara, spring, Rites of Spring, Eostra's Day, spring equinox (c. March 21)- first true day of spring, beginnings, action
• Beltane, May Day (April 30) - fertility, vitality, passions and hopes consummated
• Midsummer, Litha, summer solstice (c. June 21) - the powers of nature reach their highest point, fertility, purification, health, love
• Lughnasadh, August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home, Lammas (August 1) - first harvest, warmth, bounty, inconstant universe
• Mabon, autumn equinox (c. September 21) - completion of Lughnasadh harvest, preparing for a time of rest
• Samhain, November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows (October 31) - temporary farewell to the gods, a time of reflection, coming to terms with death

Practices

• Deep breathing exercises
• Meditation, relaxation
• Visualization

Nine components of Wiccan ritual

• Purification of self - bathing, anointing your body, meditation, deep breathing, otherwise purifying your body/mind/soul - a time for calmness and peace - stand in a rush of wind and visualize it carrying away negative thoughts and emotions, use music...
• Purification of space - outdoor ritual spaces rarely need to be purified; indoor rituals usually require it. In-home rites: lock the door, turn the phone off, close the curtains, ask not to be disturbed. Clean the floor physically with a broom, vacuum, or mop, then purify with the magic broom. Scatter salt, alone or mixed w/a powdered herb or resin such as thyme, rosemary, frankincense, copal, sage, or dragon's blood - Do this with power. Play a musical instrument to the four quarters, clockwise - ascending scales purify. Burn an herb with clearing qualities as an incense, such as frankincense, myrrh, sage, thume, or rosemary, alone or combined. Outdoor rites: the magic broom and sprinkling pure water is enough.
• Creating sacred space - set up an alter (if not using a permanent one), create a magic circle with a wand or a length of cord. Build the power within you; when it has reached a fine pitch, hold your projective palm down, waist level. Point your fingers toward the edge of the future circle. See and feel the energy flowing out from your fingertips in a stream of vibrating purplish-blue light. Slowly walk the circle clockwise. Push the power out and form it with your visualization into a circling band of glowing magical light, nine feet or less. Form the band into a dome of energy surrounding the ritual area. To leave the circle during a ritual, cut a doorway, preserving the flow of energy through the circle and close it when you return. Or form the circle with physical activity, marking the circle's edge with your feet. Trace it in the sand or dirt with a finger, a want, a knife, or sprinkled water. You may place objects to mark the circle's perimeter - flowers, pine and holly, small river stones, crystals, etc. You may pour a small unbroken circle of powdered herbs, flour, crushed colored minerals, sand, salt, etc.
• Invocation - a spoken prayer or verse, music, dance, gestures, song. You may wish to incorporate rhyme.Don't worry if you're not word perfect.
• Ritual observance - if the ritual is held on a sabbat or esbat. May also be a rite of meditation, transition, thanksgiving, etc. When you spill the salt, tip over a candle, fail to light the incense, forget the verse...laugh and start over.
• Energy raising - ensure that your need is real, that you're emotionally involved in the need, and that you know your magic will work. Some of the simplest spells are the most effective.
• Earthing the power, Cakes and Wine, Cakes and Ale - reprogram energy to fit smoothly back within your normal energy scheme. A ritual ingestion of food and drink to ease you back from ecstasy. Eating returns your awareness to the physical reality. Food is a manifestation of divine energy. Cookies and milk, juice and bread, cheese and wine, crescent-shaped cakes and wine, anything is fine.
• Thanking the gods - for their presence and attendance at your circle. This can be done in specific ways, with gestures, chants, music, or can be improvised on the spot. Thank them for their attention and ask that they come again.
• Breaking the circle - Return an area or room to its normal state. Depends on how you formed the circle. If the circle is visualized as swirling around you, hold out your receptive hand (your right, if you're left-handed), visualize yourself absorbing the energy that created the circle. Or use a magical knife to cut the circle, visualize its power surging back into the knife. Walk counterclockwise to draw the power back into you. If you laid stones in a ring, take them up. Sweep up rings of herbs, salt, or flour. When the circle is gone, put away the ritual tools.

Other thoughts

• "Don't try to force yourself to believe in . Knowledge is far superior to belief, for belief is the way of the uninformed. It isn't wise to accept a doctrine as important as without a great deal of study to see if it speaks to you."
• "Remember the science fiction and fantasy movies you've seen wherein a magician sends power from his or her hands? Remember what it looked like in cinematic form? If you wish, use a similar image to visualize personal power streaming from your palms. Though that was just special effects, this, of course, is real, and we can use the picture to actually send out that power."
• "Stay up late a few nights or rise with the dawn. Alone, write down (even in the most broken sentences) what you hope to gain from Wicca. This may include spiritual fulfillment, deeper relationships with the goddess and god, insight into your place in the world, the power to bring order into your existence, the ability to attune with the seasons and the earth, and so on. Be specific, be ruthless, be complete. If you're not satisfied with this list, if it doesn't feel truthful, start over again. No one need ever see it. Copy down the final list into your mirror book, burn all other drafts, and be done with it. Once this list has been fashioned, spend the next evening or morning creating a new one. On this, record what you feel you can give to Wicca."

Crescent cakes

• 1 c. finely ground almonds, 1.25 c. flour, 0.5 c. powdered sugar, 2 drops almond extract, 0.5 c. butter softened, 1 egg yolk
• Combine almonds, flour, sugar, extract until thoroughly mixed. With hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well blended. Chill dough. Preheat oven to 325F. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents. Place on greased sheets and bake for about 20 min.

Colors for spells

• white - protection, purification, peace
• red - protection, strength, health, passion, courage
• light blue - healing, patience, happiness
• dark blue - change, psychism
• green - money, fertility, growth, employment
• yellow - intellect, attraction, study, divination
• brown - healing animals
• pink - love, friendships
• orange - stimulation, energy
• purple - power, healing severe diseases, spirituation, meditation

Check this book out again for

• spells
• rune magic