TYPE 4

BOOK OF SHADOWS

††††††††††††

BOOK OF WAYS [ Book of Shadows]

The Book of Ways is not a published book, but rather a text which is copied

by Initiates of our Tradition. It is hand written, and hand copied.

The material in the Book of Ways has been handed down over Generations. Once

a person is initiated into our Ways, their Initiator will sit down with them,

and oversee the copying of the Book. The Book of Ways is divided into 3

sections: Ways, Calls, and Influences.

"Ways" contains all of the rituals, Initiation rites, Community Rites,

Myths,

and Lore.

"Calls" contains all of the chants, ritual gestures, ritual postures,

invocations, and

symbols.

"Influences" contains all of the magical knowledge, herbal knowledge, magical

correspondences, spells, formulas for oils & potions, and so on.

Raven, Italian Witchcraft.

BOOK OF SHADOWS

THIS IS THE NAME GIVEN BY MODERN WITCHES TO THE BOOK IN WHICH THEY WRITE

THEIR RITUALS, INVOCATIONS, POEMS, CHARMS & SPELLS. WITCHES COPY FROM EACH

OTHER'S BOOKS THAT WHICH APPEALS TO THEM, & THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN LEARNT

FROM EXPERIENCE, SO THAT IN PRACTISE NO TWO BOOKS ARE EXACTLY ALIKE.

THOSE THAT BELONG TO A COVEN ALSO COPY THE COVEN RITES IN THIS BOOK.

INDIVIDUAL ART WORK & OTHER DECORATIONS ALSO INDIVIDUALISE THE BOOK OF

SHADOWS. THE COVER CAN BE OF WOOD, LEATHER, CLOTH OR PAPER. USUALLY

PROTECTION RUNES, THE OWNERS MAGICAL NAME & THEIR COVENS NAME & SYMBOL IS

WRITTEN OR CARVED ON THE COVER OR FIRST PAGE. SOME WITCHES USE RUNES THROUGH

OUT THIS BOOK, OTHERS USE MAGICAL ALPHABETS TO WRITE DOWN THEIR SPELLS,

INITIATIONS & SPECIFIC PARTS OF RITES, YOU MAY DO AS YOU WISH THERE I S NO

SET RULE. AN OLD RULE OF COVENS WITH REGARD TO WRITTEN MATERIAL OF THIS

DESCRIPTION, IS THAT WHEN ANYONE DIED THEIR BOOK WAS BURNED. THE REASON FOR

THIS, FROM THE OLD DAYS, WAS TO SAVE EMBARRASSMENT TO THE PERSONS FAMILY.

A WRITTEN BOOK WAS PROOF ENOUGH TO ACCUSE A PERSON OF WITCHCRAFT & AS THE

LATTER WAS POPULARLY SUPPOSED TO RUN IN FAMILIES ,WITH THE DISCOVERY OF SUCH

A BOOK WHOLE FAMILIES INCLUDING BABIES WERE BURNT AT THE STAKE. FRIENDS &

NEIGHBOURS BECAME SUSPECT & MANY PEOPLE WERE TORMENTED & EVENTUALLY KILLED

DUE TO SUCH A FIND.

THE BOOK OF SHADOWS HAS BEEN NAMED SUCH BECAUSE ITS CONTENTS CAN ONLY BE

THIS WORLD'S SHADOW OF THE REALITIES OF THE OTHER WORLD, THE ONE OF MAGIC &

THE BEYOND ONE OF GODS & THEIR ELEMENTAL HELPERS. IN MODERN COVENS THIS BOOK

CAN BE PASSED ON WITHIN THE FAMILY OR TO A FAVOURITE STUDENT / APPRENTICE OR

COVEN MEMBER IF THE PERSON NEVER MARRIES. IT IS UP TO EACH OF YOU TO DECIDE

WHAT WILL BECOME OF YOUR MAGIC BOOKS, TOOLS ROBES ETC. & MAKE THE

ARRANGEMENTS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH & A LEGAL WILL AS T O WHAT MUST BE DONE

WITH THEM AFTER YOU GO THROUGH TRANSITION, THIS INCLUDES OTHER BOOKS SUCH

AS; MIRROR BOOKS, DREAM BOOKS, HERB BOOKS, CIRCLE OF STONES BOOKS [ CRYSTAL,

GEM & STONE MAGIC ] & ANY BOUGHT OCCULT BOOKS.

IN THE COVEN OF THE WHEEL OUTER CIRCLE, [Lessen nights] THERE ARE ALSO THE

PRINTOUTS WHICH SHOULD BE FILED IN THIS MANNER.

1. THE FESTIVALS, LIFE INITIATIONS & OTHER RITUALS SPELLS, CHANTS &

INVOCATIONS.

2. COVEN INITIATIONS & ESBAT RITES.

3. LESSONS, EXERCISES, MEDITATIONS, E. S. P. EXPERIMENTS, AURA READING,

VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES, BREATHING EXERCISES ETC. THIS LAST FILE IS

BROUGHT EACH LESSON NIGHT, ALONG WITH YOUR NOTE BOOK & PEN.

NO I. IS USED EACH SABBAT OR FOR A SPECIFIC RITE.

NO 2. IS NEVER SHOWN TO ANYONE NOT INITIATED.

BEFORE THE NEOPHYTE INITIATION WHICH CAN ONLY TAKE PLACE AFTER THE PERSON HAS

ATTENDED 3. SABBATS [ FESTIVAL RITES.] & THE LESSON NIGHTS IN BETWEEN, THE

ASPIRANT MUST PETITION FOR INITIATION OR BE INVITED & SHOULD THEN PRODUCE HIS

/ HER BOOK OF SHADO WS, DREAM BOOK, MIRROR BOOK, & A BLANK BOOK FOR THEIR

HERB BOOK. A DEDICATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ,SOLITARY OR COVEN RITE.

BEFORE NEOPHYTE INITIATION THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE COPIED BY HAND INTO THE

BOOK OF SHADOWS: THE WICCAN REDE, THE MANIFESTO, PRINCIPALS OF WICCA,

NUMEROLOGY CHART TO WORK OUT THEIR MAGICAL NAME & ANY OTHER SPELLS , POEMS &

INFORMATION THEY HAVE GATHER ED. THIS BOOK SHOULD ALSO HAVE PERSONAL ART WORK

OR PICTURES GLUED IN & BE COVERED.

WITH EACH DEGREE IT WILL BE EXAMINED BY COVEN ELDER

1ST. DEGREE:

13 GOALS OF A WITCH, RITUAL BATH, ESBAT RITE, THE NATURE OF OUR WAY, NEOPHYTE

INITIATION, CHILD'S FIRST GUARDIAN, THE 3 BIRTH RITES, RITE BEFORE SCHOOL. &

2 SABBATS.

2ND. DEGREE:

1ST. DEGREE INITIATION, THE NINE ,3 SABBATS, RITE BEFORE LEAVING HOME, FIRST

FLOWING, WARRIOR RITE, BETROTHAL & HANDFASTING.

3RD. DEGREE:

2ND DEGREE INITIATION, 3 SABBATS, INSERTS FOR ESBATS, MOTHER, FATHER & ELDER

RITES, PARTING OF THE WAYS, WIDOW / WIDOWER RITES, SELF DEDICATION [SOLITARY

& COVEN.] DEATH RITES.

BLESSED BE.