Это видео недоступно.
Сожалеем об этом.
Tips for Starting a Book of Shadows
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2020
- ☽ See More ☾
Today I wanted to share with you some tips and advice for starting a book of shadows. Hopefully, helping anyone who may be struggling with getting starting and continuing motivation.
Support the Channel:
Patreon: / hearthwitch
Website: www.thewitchsheart.co.uk
Instagram: @thewitchsheart and @_hearth_witch_
Kofi: www.ko-fi.com/h...
Discord: / discord
PO Box:
PO Box 4741
Newcastle
ST55 9HX
United Kingdom
Music: Angevin - Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommon...) Source: incompetech.com.... Artist: incompetech.com/
Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommon...) Source: incompetech.com.... Artist: incompetech.com/
Edited with Filmora.
I was so deep in the broom closet that my book of shadows was a journal in Minecraft
that is adorable
Lol. Creative
I’m in the broom closet and it’s hard with Christian parents
Thank you
LMAOO 🤣🤣🤣
She's talking about kneadable erasers and they're a god send.
Good to note that the softer the pencil the easier it is to erase with the kneadable eraser. So best to have a 2B or softer
And not press too hard 👍
Definitely. I think they call them putty rubbers in some places.
Wm has cheap ones, so does hobby lobby. The better ones are faber castell. The wm and cheaper ones are kinda hard. Also, you dab dab dab them and technically don't rub with them.
@@HouseCatTV buddy you don't want to do your typical sketches with an 8B
Started my first BoS.
It's an inconspicuous blue binder.
I did put a sigil of "no one may open this book without my concent" on the first page.
Mainly because I'm in the closet and my mom is a very biased religious woman.
I must say, my closet is getting deeper and deeper, I'm surprised I'm not in Narnia at this point...😂
I'm also in the closet and I burned a candle and some herbs but forgot to open my window
You can imagine how that went
@Paola AM It's been awhile so you might not need this info anymore but in case you do or anyone else I thought I'd share what I know.
Sigils are best when they're created by you. They should be from your own consciousness (preferably) as that's a big part of their power. Of course you can work with one made by someone else but there's a chance it won't be as effective. That being said sigils are part of Chaos Magick, so that's a good place to start when doing research. There are many, many ways to create sigils, which you can easily look up the systems. My favorite is the sigil number wheel, but there is the regular sigil wheel, the number square, or the cross-out method. I also like to add symbols into my sigils sometimes (such as planetary symbols that correspond to my intentions. There's so much freedom. Play around in pencil until it clicks. You want to connect to that sigil and you'll know when you've reached it. Try all the methods to find the one you like best. You can even just freeform it. When creating the sigil don't use negative words like "no, don't, won't, can't". Use positive and present tense. Instead of "No one will harm me" use "I am safe" or "I am protected".
For my personal BoS I created a set of sigils combined into a larger seal. I got the idea from a post on the Pagan Amino app. If you have the Pagan Amino app you can try to look up a post by L.L. Princeps, called LLP's Sigil for Divination. They give a great bit of info and in the comments you can look into the conversation I have with the author to get a more thorough explanation of their sigils creation. Using their method I modified it for my BoS and made a seal of protection. I placed sigils for things like "Secret", "Invisible", "protected from harm", "turn away" etc and created an invocation to say to put power into the seal and set my intentions for it.
Hope this all helps :) Good luck!
@Paola it's always best to make your own, there are many videos of how to make sigils and lots of different ways to make them but it's all about your intent and if you just use one you found online or that someone else created it may not work because it wasn't made with your own intent. Any form of witchcraft takes a lot of focus on what your own intention is for what you want the outcome to be of your work, and it also isn't always safe to just use what someone else did because someone else made it with their own intentions. You could find that some people made theirs so that a person who uses it or reads their bos despite the warning has bad luck or is harmed, while you may just be looking for something that helps your book of shadows go unnoticed. It's important to know your own intentions before doing any kind of work because it could either do nothing or have negative outcomes.
mine's in a journal my mom gave me to take notes on church sermons. sneak 100
I also use a binder with a sigil on the first page. I use dividers to organize information .
For anyone who uses a binder (binder squad), separate your sections with divider tabs. Trust me, once you get more papers in there you'll be happy those tabs are there
I live for my discbound BOS with dividers. I need the freedom to move things around!
That's such a good idea
I'm definitely going to do this - I had never considered a binder even though I love them, because all the binders I own look cheap. I want to find (or decorate!) a bougie looking one and use nice paper, to make it a pleasurable as well as organised experience
@@claremiller9979 Decorating a BOS binder can be a fun challenge. Like Sly Saint said, divider tabs are a very good idea in a binder BOS (and you can decorate those too, if you have the notion to). I must have the freedom to get things organized and move them around.
@@claremiller9979 I found this Exceed Heavy Duty 2inch binder that I love! It's super sturdy, has a hard plastic cover and it's big enough to hold a lot of information. It has a plastic sleeve on the cover if you want to slip a pretty cover page or like was said you can decorate the covers with either leather or other materials. I know there are a decent amount of tutorials and ideas out there to check out.
Something i’m doing is writing it out on a notebook as everything is everywhere, then when i’m ready i’ll write it into a book of shadows
I write and rewrite all the time it helps me with memorizing. My privacy was invaded so I'm traumatized with my written info/files. Hearth is my BOS LOL🕯.
I’m doing the same thing, I’m a baby witch and everything I’m learning is all over the place and I wanted to feel comfortable just throwing stuff in as I wanted so I can go back and later organize it in a new book! That’s what makes me feel comfortable and confident in my work, I’m sure I’ll have many to come, but now I have a little bit of a feel how I’d like to organize my craft
I also have multiple books for different things that I use for things I wanted continually workable like a mini spell book, a dream journal, a small journal just for astrology, and another just for divination!
My book of shadows is an amalgam of a regular journal and a tarot journal with random spells thrown in, all written out in a 2000-something diary. Still trying to make a formal one XD
@@MeganBobbi1 I tried do that but then I'd need write something fast and grab wrong book ...lol...I know also I want alot of artwork in....
The little child in me laughed too hard at the phrase “spelling” mistake. I know it was referencing writing words, but my mind jumped to a faulty spell.
Lmao!! XD
same
Where do you think the word "spelling" comes from? I mean, why not call it "literization"? ;)
LOL same ❤️🔥
Lol same 😆
My BoS is a confusing mix between my first language and english, because I constantly mix up the two and forget the word for something in one of the languages
It's a great way of denoting importance, i write almost all information in english so to not invoque anything when reading it but hymns and enchantentions are in my mother tongue
same
I have no idea if this is a good thing or not but because I'm a closeted witchling all of my writing is in Latin or Greek so if my parents find they'll have no idea what's in it. There's also like 50 runes on the cover to prevent them from getting any ideas
THAT'S ME XD
Okay but I love the idea of somebody in the future finding this book that switches between languages in such a way. It's kind of awesome.
Also, on contents pages: Ryder Carroll's Bullet Journal Method has a really good solution to this because you can just write down the topic and the page you wrote it on instead of trying to measure out how many pages you need and preplan topics. You don't have to stuff everything in the whole book into the contents pages, either. You can write a collections page -- like "crystals" or something, suppose you're going through your main contents page and realize you have 3 topics on various crystals. Make the next blank page a collection page JUST for crystals. Write the page that collection is located on, and THAT collection page is now where you document which pages contain research in crystals as you go along.
You can also do something called "threading" where you write the page # the previous installment of connected topics beside the page number you're currently writing so that later you can easily track, chronologically, where you've written about this topic.
Ryder Carroll has ADHD, and so do I, and it's such a great way to find where I wrote something important down.
OH! And color-code the edges of the pages. I use green highlighter on the top corner of any page I write spells on, and it makes it very easy to go back and review that spell or update it.
I use bullet journal methods for daily planner and designing projects but hadn't thought about doing a full BoS! Great idea.
I thought of this too, BuJo method I think is so great for using a notebook AND staying organised, and that marriage of freedom with structure. So good.
I write my topics down only after I write them in. It lifts so much tension
I really relate to the blockage of "I want it to be nice, so I never write in it in case I make a mistake." I definitely do the thing of jotting it down in rough form in a different book, then copying it "nicer" later, that alleviates my stress but allows me to make it aesthetic (which you definitely don't have to do, it just makes me happy!) This is incredible advice for newbies - just jot it down SOMEHOW, don't worry how it looks, so at least you have it later. Thx Hearth!
My best tip: get brown paper bags and cut pieces out to paste over large areas you just really fucked up and don't want to look at, and write a short tip or something on it - the brown paper bag isn't see-through and they're dirt cheap, and look cool, but you can use any paper obv.
P. S. OMG i LOVE Paperblanks!! They are gorgeous, I got one for my Shadow Work journal. I wanted one for my b.o.s. but I had trouble finding unlined (I prefer it because I draw pictures) in the style and size I wanted.
that's why i like screw-post binding. It allows for replacement or moving around of pages, later on. :)
Instead of a contents page, I do an index by category and use tabs to mark them. ie: red tab = Herbs, blue tab = Moon, green tab = Crystals. Idk if this would be helpful for anyone else. I do use a binder-style BOS.
And anyone who doesnt use a binder could use washy tape :)
My OCD wants to rearrange your tabs lol. I'd think that green tab would go for herbs, blue tab for crystals, red tab for the moon (since our menstrual cycle is tied to the moon cycle). But I like your idea overall 😊
This is what I do in my BOS too. My first one already had sections but it wasn’t enough so I got a 10 subject project book and added extra pages and folders to it. Worked perfectly for me.
I do the tabs for the different sections and on the divider page I just have the topics randomly listed without it being in any order. And I use a 3 ring binders and keep each seperate page in a sheet protector so I can move pages around and not have to worry about them ripping or getting messed up.
Should you ever come to a crossroads with needing extra pages, just "tip in" new pages as needed. That's taking a sheet of paper the same size as your book and taping them into the gutter of your book. That is great for switching up paper for some extra oomph or adding extra room to write or draw. I tape mine in with scotch tape or washi tape.
If you need more of a visual, google "Tipping-In Loose Pages" and you'll see what I mean. It's an old book making term that typically utilizes glue but is just as efficient with tape.
My eyes lit up when hearth said Dyslexic 😗 I was diagnosed when I was 8, spelling has been a pain in the butt for me especially in school/high school, nobody really understood what dyslexia is so thank you Hearth 👏👏👏
Like if you or someone you know has dyslexia.
Kudos to everyone who has Dyslexia/disability your doing the best you can 🙏
I’m Dyslexic and when I was at school i was called Lazy frequently I’m with you on the fact it just wasn’t seen as a thing really back then 😽
@@kerry93 I was called lazy as well as other things in School by teachers and other kids 😒 their was only me and a friend we both have Dyslexia, back then we were treated like outcasts, their wasn't any research out their for Dyslexia which made it very hard for our parents to get me the support we needed. I hated school with a passion because it was like a war zone
I have two brothers, my best friend and my husband who are dyslexic. It can be difficult for them but they are brilliant in many ways because of it, I think.
@@susysnakegirl your totally right, all people are brilliant in their own ways, their are so many people in the media... celebrities who have Dyslexia i can definitely say for me it pushed me to be better and it fuels me to continue to work on myself, by myself, for myself. Kudos to everyone who was Dyslexia cause all of us are doing the best we can and we will continue to surprise a lot of people.
My son is dyslexic, couldn't read until he was 14 years old...had to go outside the public school system for help...the school wasn't interested in helping him. He's now 26, and not only graduated high school, but has 2 college graduations under his belt. So many dyslexic are so smart, they just need to be taught in non-traditional ways. Good luck to all of the people in this comment section, you're smart and capable, you just see things differently from others when it comes to letters!
For those who were wondering what kind of rubber/eraser she was talking about, it is called a kneaded eraser in American. It usually grey and is used a little differently than other erasers. It catches a lot of lead but the thing that makes it so special is that you can 'knead' until all of the lead has blended away in the rubber/eraser, and you can used it again all clean as if it was new. Hope this helped someone. 😁👍
It's also a art eraser
What are they called in the UK?
@@lizb3139 they're called rubbers in the UK
I was in the process of decluttering my home and life as a whole, and opted to keep my BOS on a pretty little USB I ordered on Etsy. I absolutely love it so far, because I no longer need to keep space for a physical book like I did before. I can also hook it up to my tablet, and create art pieces to add to it without needing to buy art supplies.
Please tell me your usb is backed up because my dumb self lost everything in my usb, 3 years worth of word documents is gone in a flash and I don't want to see another suffer that pain like I have
I use Microsoft One Note. Some days I feel like typing from a computer, other days I just wanna type on my tablet while in bed, but most days I'm typing from my phone while I'm in an Uber or bus. And no matter how many times I switch, the stuff I typed on one device will always show up on the rest. If I lose my phone _or_ my tablet craps out _or_ my cat drops my computer monitor, my notes will always exist. If Microsoft isn't your thing, I think Evernote and a few other note apps are also pretty good.
Love this! What a cute idea.
I tried my hand at bookbinding and I made my own book of shadows. I write in any pen, and it's sloppy but I love it. It's aesthetically pleasing to me and it's kind of like a diary for my magick.
I have been practicing on and off for 45 years. I really regret my books, which we called journals back then, being lost in my parents house fire. It really put me off of writing my thoughts and observations, practices and experiments, because I felt so much was so easily lost. I felt all of that time was wasted. But, I was wrong. I should have continued, nothing is ever lost or wasted. Though my books were burned, they had an impact on me. The time I spent reflecting, practicing, interacting was not lost. It became a part of me in the doing and joined with the spirits in the burning. Now I sometimes write things to burn specifically (not Shadow pages....I'm not a fool after all) and I use them in my practice. Write, draw, scribble, just start and see where it leads. But don't destroy them. I've gone on too long, sorry. 💖
I feel so sorry that you lost your journals and book of shadows in a house fire. It's heartbreaking.
So sorry to hear of what happened to you. Stay safe🐱.
I have also been in the situation where I lost about 5 years of books, it really is heart wrenching. :(
My best tips for BOS would be 1) use what you have or can afford. A fancy leather book is not required, you can use a Word document, a regular notebook, a binder, etc. These work if you are still in the broom closet and you can hide it in plain sight. I used a sketchbook I found lying around that I bought years ago but forgot about. 2) It doesn't have to be pretty. As long as you can read it, it should be fine. 3) If you want a pretty sketch in it but not sure if you can replicate it, you can glue it on a page. I have heard of witches gluing envelopes in them to hold stuff. I wanna put a pop-up of the Wheel of the Year, wish me luck ;_;
I'm the type of witch that has 15 random spiral notebooks just scribbled with loads of info and they're all in different places😂
The type of eraser you were talking about is called a "gum eraser." They can be found at craft stores or online and they're usually gray in color, and they're usually sold with pencils in a pack, but you might be able to find one on its own! They're great because if they get covered in gray from the pencil, you just have to stretch and mold it to a new shape and you've got a fresh eraser.
I use notebooks I got at Barnes & Noble a few years ago for my BoS, and I've recently started to transfer the information from them into a private server on Discord! I use Discord pretty frequently, and it's great because I have it on my laptop, phone, and iPad. You can really customize how you organize it, add photos easily, etc. so I really like having my BoS digitally if I need it, but I still love to write things out because I feel that it helps me to remember what I'm writing down and such.
👍
They're also called "kneaded" and "kneaded rubber" erasers.
In art we call them kneaded erasers
We call them putty rubber
Teehee Rubber
I love how you touched on the topic of fear of the book not being perfect. I know that’s what has kept me from not writing it all down in the “fancy” book I bought. It changed my mind when you mentioned how much you wished you had written it down years ago so you could see the progression. I’m definitely going to take more time to sit down and write all these things down in whatever notebook i have.
I know, right?
Excellent tips, Hearth! 20something years ago, my first BOS was a large spiral bound notebook. Now it's a discbound planner with dividers so I can move/add things around at will and it lays flat without effort. At the end of the day, it just has to WORK.
Same here, 20 years ago!! Lol. I love the idea of using a disc-bound with dividers. I use an Erin Condren weekly planner, so this would make my planner heart so happy. What a wonderful idea!
A disk bound planner. Now that is a cool idea. I have like 5 or 6 happy planners lol!
I started my book of shadows as just a journal of my first wheel of the year holidays. There's recipes, tarot/rune spreads, plain journaling, and a ton of other stuff. A book of shadows is all you!
Great video!
Something I would like to add for people who speak multiple languages is that you don't need to write everything in one language.
In the past I was worried that my future children won't be able to understand all of it if I write it in more than one language, but the book is not for anyone else, not even for your children. And if you research something in one language you don't need to go through the extra work of translating it to the main language of your book, unless you really want to. What's important is that YOU understand it.
Plus, if you have watched Grimm and remember the books he uses, it's actually kind of cool and mysterious to have a book that's written in more than one language :D
It's strange to be so focused on translating your language to be understandable given that we will likely have far better translation technology as we progress anyway lmao. Even the Google lense does a decent job sometimes
Tip for writing in a straight line on blank pages: use a lined page as a template. Rip out a page from a lined notebook with spacing you like and place it under the blank page you want to write on. You may need to darken the lines to see through the blank page, especially if the blank paper is thicker, but it works like a charm!
Hearth, how to stay motivated to practice witchcraft, i keep finding myself just.. stopping at points then going like "yeah i should get back into it!"
You are not alone 😊
I usually start big things to do like having a notebook just for plants or growing a herb garden if you can
I think this is totally normal. It takes time to learn and find ways to incorporate "witchiness" into every day life, but it's not necessary to always be practicing. If you're burnt out or have other things going on, it's better to take a break, sometimes life is overwhelming. I think not pressuring yourself to always be in "go mode" is the biggest relief. That being said, look into small ways to bring witchcraft into your daily life. Cleansing when you shower/bathe, saying a small invocation while stirring your coffee/tea, adding your intentions while cooking/baking etc etc. But don't pressure yourself.
I stopped practicing for nearly 10 years! My life was in a different place and I had a lot going on. I was disconnected but also I wasn't in the right frame of mind to practice. When I was able to I began again. I still have short breaks here and there. It's perfectly ok. Look for ways that work with your life and naturally over time and with experience you'll find a rhythm that works for you ;)
@@Suisyo As a baby witch, I deeply thank you for the brilliant advice!
life happens I think people come back to it when the time is right and when you need it. that's how it happens with me.
On making a BOS for you: I know a lot of people - myself included - started out wanting to pass their BOS down generations and have anxiety to the point of not doing it because they want everything to be perfect and beautiful for decades to come. I've come to realise that if you want to do this a few years down the track, you can 100% transpose information in a thoughtful and orderly way into more of a grimoire. Patience. Don't let the future hold you back.
I’ve watched A LOT of BOS videos and this one has some of the best tips I’ve ever seen.
Just started my first book this past week! I actually decided to make a general book of shadows for everything I learn and then I’m also making one specific to Tarot since I really love the practice. I love having a place to put all of my fave Tarot spreads as a reference. Also, for my general book, I find that making a list of topics I want to make pages about on a separate piece of paper is super helpful! I can write down ideas for pages, slide them into my book and revisit them when it’s time to make a section for that topic!
I love how you mentioned digital Books of Shadows! I personally don’t like physically writing unless I’m writing letters to people, so I use Google Docs on my phone to write my Book of Shadows. I definitely recommend note apps and word documents for those who prefer typing over writing
Digital is a potential total disaster…
@@gypsysnickerdoodle4354 if you’re talking about potentially losing all of it because of some tech error, then the same can be said for physical books of shadows, it could be lost or destroyed
Great video 👍 I use an a5 ring binder with dividers for my spiritual practice, I use lined and plain paper in there. I also use the folder for other stuff like feng shui and self care practice. I find it much easier working this way cos I can just scribble notes and doodles and not worry about being neat, plus I have everything in one place. I know myself, if I had a fancy notebook then the perfectionist in me would come out and it would have to be neat 😂
I like to write the index of my books when I finish them, using the last 4 or 5 pages.
G-idea🕊
I've been enjoying my exceed dotted journal that has a few pages of of index-contents at the beginning and just writing down what's on the page in the index after I've written it.
Little tip, if you wrote all over the page and want to add something on that page, cut a bit of paper where you wrote the new things and tape it with clear tape at the end of the page so it can be flipped up and the clear tape allows to read the last words :)
Wow these tips went beyond my expectations. You’re soooo informative, I really want to thank you for turning a video which most people would make it into a basic and shallow 5-minute tricks into a comprehensive and helpful 30 minute video!! So many baby witches struggle with the expectations of a beautiful medieval tome for a book of shadows when really we should be focusing on writing things down
I have my mirror book (journal) in a regular lined spiral bound notebook, and a more formal BOS in a line-less leather-bound book. I use a piece of lined notebook paper beneath the blank pages to give me temporary lines that I can see through and follow to keep my writing in track in straight lines.
I love putting envelopes in mine, either tapping them in or gluing them in. So I can put extra little sheets in my book. Its great if you have a section you want to add some notes to but don't want to waste a whole page.
Happy birthday, Hearth! 🖤🖤🖤🌛🌝🌜
I really recommend a binder for BoS cuz you can just stuck all kinds of different refill pages for sketches and notes and even printed materials. My first language is Chinese and when I wrote my BoS in English I found binders extremely helpful when I don't want to rewrite the Chinese materials into English and write them down cuz I can just print them out and use a punch to combine the stuff together.
Wow, you posted this literally at the perfect time. I stumbled across your channel through an elder witch's recommendation in a comment on another channel, and I just started really diving into learning about witchcraft 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have a journal but have been super hesitant on where to start so I seriously appreciate this video. Thank you.
what really helped me is that i have a junk like book of shadows that i can write things messily and all over the place and then a fancy grimoire that i rewrite things in with pretty illustrations and nice calligraphy. like this, i get to write everything i need down without worrying, and then i can have my creative time with the grimoire and have fun
Out of topic but I just wanted to say that your makeup is stunning
I'm currently transcribing my book of shadows I started almost 20 years ago into new notebooks. I was in the broom closet & scribbling into spiral notebooks or diaries from our dollar store. The ink has since done strange things & started bleeding through.
This project has been fun and its letting me edit out things I've never used/will never use and organize some thoughts. For me, having that notebook to gather thoughts before writing into my book of shadows reduces so much stress. I've also learned to embrace leaving space for notes. If I never need to note afterward, I put in doodles, or pressed plants connected to the work
Tip for uh unlined paper. I keep a few sheets of loose leaf lined paper in my books which get placed behind the page in writing on. Usually I can see thin lines under the page to keep me on track
One of my personal tip for the people who do needs content list....just leave a few pages in the beginning of your book and fill the content list as you add content instead of filling all of it prior. It will keep it organized and later will help you to navigate through your writings.
Also a good thing to look into when buying one is the size! If you plan to write a lot and illustrate, it helps if it’s larger, but if you plan to do smaller entires or want to be able to practically haul it everywhere, I’d say go smaller. This can make a big difference! Wonderful video Hearth, thank you! 💛🎨📖✨
I'm so happy that I found this video, me and my boyfriends are starting our Books of Shadows, so I'm here listening to you and frantically writing it down but in Spanish so that he understands everything. Since your explanations are extremely clear it makes it easier for me to translate while listening thank you honey
Honey: find your own book.
Seriously.
If you split up, that book will become a BLOOD FEUD
i am on my first book of shadows. And my first year of study as well. its messy. sometimes beautiful. But it works. Its in German and English. Sometimes i switch in a sentence, just because i write information down from videos or something similar.
I Have an Index. but in the back of the book. so i can fill it while working on it. i have some sections like sabbats , rituals/spells and then correspondences... you can add what ever you like. i do it in colums. and when my book is full - my studies and knowledge meets the index. so i dont loose track of whats in it and need to search.
Are there even good resources of info for someone who has no idea about anything in German? Cause I have the impression that there is hardly anything, so I'm looking everything up in English from the start
@@piratefoxy1171 There is quite a lot info in German actually. There are a handful of youtubers who make videos about Wicca in German, some of the more well-known books were translated to German, there is at least one active forum (you should find it by typing in Wicca or Hexen forum I believe), paganfederation.org holds regular meetings in a couple of German cities and many bigger cities have witchcraft stores (I can think of three in my hometown Hamburg on top of my head). The Wiccan community is actually quite big here. :)
What do you think of just using fun cheapie notebooks to write in and at the end of the year, compile the information into a book?
Lol, I would go extra and keep and lable them and index in the compilation as ref. material so you can look back on the bigger picture of what was going on in you life at that point if you wanted to!
I buy spiral bound notebooks for research, witchy book reviews and journaling on the go, then compile it neatly in my nice books.
What about using a binder?
Sure, if you feel the method works for you, go for it.
I don't have a contents page as I find it stressful, but I have recently started an index! Ive divided up pages at the back of the book and put letters of the alphabet there. Then I've gone through what Ive done so far and put the main concept in under the right letter. Ive not been too bothered about it all being in correct alphabetical order under each letter e.g. elements has come before earth in mine! Ive found that really useful!
This is such a great idea 👍
Notebooks with dotted pages are great if you don't like lined paper because they give you a guide to write straight but you can also draw and stuff without the lines being annoying. Also, I usually leave a blank page or two for whenever I make mistakes I have the same type of paper so I can cut out a little piece and glue it on top of the misspelled word or whatever mistake I made.
This is lovely!!! I write everything down on whatever I can reach 🥰. I've been using a three ring binder for years, and it's so messy and disorganized. The important thing is to keep notes for later.
Hello! I just discovered your channel thanks to this video and I loved it! Lots of great tips! I have destroyed a lot of journals, witchy or diaries, since I was a child. I’ve been doing better these past few years and I started a new book of shadows in a small but available notebook I had for now! I stick to red and blue bic pens because I love writing with them and I always have some at home! One thing I’ve done for many years with journals I either shredded pages of or finished but not to be kept (like first versions I copied elsewhere properly) is to keep the covers so I can eventually turn them into some scrapbook type art for my walls (one day!)
You've TOTALLY hit on all my worries about starting my book of shadows. I'm a virgo so letting go of that perfection and that order is especially hard for me! But I'm working on changing my perspective and viewing the disorder as a timeline of when I learned everything.
Years ago when I started writing down things that mom talked about, I used a note binder with tabs. That way if something did not work I could remove it. I kept only things that worked. So when I pass this book on to my granddaughter, it will be useful.
Here in the Midwest United States we call them kneaded erasers. Great video! Always a pleasure to see peoples gorgeous handwriting!
I'm watching this 3 years after you've posted this, but I knew that was Paperblanks! They're so beautiful! I love that they have the magnetic lock, unlined and lined options, multiple sizes... I'm obsessed with them!
The name of the elasticated eraser is a 'kneaded eraser'
Or gum eraser.
Super helpful, thank you ! I'm a complete beginner and I haven't started my book of shadows yet, I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself to make it look pretty and perfect even though I know it doesn't need to be. I'm also worried about jumping from subject to subject. I felt like it was safer to start my research about different topics on dedicated Word documents, and write everything down once I'm satisfied with it but I also feel like that's just a distraction and that I'll never actually write it down haha.
I absolutely love how helpful all this is. Everything is like therapy. I can't believe I didn't think of this. Every video is brilliant.
So helpful!! I've been doing a bullet journal for a couple of years, so I feel like that helps me to just DO THE THING. But your suggestions are so positive and inspiring, I'm going to journal my beginning -- I started my altar, today. Thank you, from an old baby hedge witch.
it definitely helps to write stuff down and make it special if your going to be using it, the more familiar you are with something the more your likely to care and use it.
what i find very helpful is useing a 3 ring binder, if you want somthing small there are smaller binders that you can add pages to by putting your paper in landscape form put it in collums and fold the paper down the middle and poking poles into the outside, i also separate a couple books some by ingredients for spells and the others by dietys and moon phases and planetary charts and stuff. dont worry about page numbers they will be out of order, honestly they are not helpful unless you have to find somthing, same thing with chapters , just put titles and dont write chapter 1 at the top. i also use a journal as well along side.
I was considering this lately because I’ve made a lot of really cool stuff and I didn’t write anything down
Another way to cover up mistakes is to glue collage materials into it. You can even use a part of another paper and glue it on your page and write over it. Or acrylic paint or gesso like people do in art journals. Or dried plants, sigils....There are no rules. These things can even add some texture and look old and beautiful if that is something you want. It's not about perfection, thank you for pointing it out multiple times because I'm a terrible perfectionist who is about to start her first Book of Shadows.
I am trying to get back to my practices and everything you said, especially in the end about worrying about mistakes or fear of messing it up, can actually be used for my journaling. I do a form of journaling called junk journaling, which is a journal where you collage everyday bits/mementos of your life (like lists, receipts, movie tickets, etc.) I adore your videos, soo informational and inspiring. I hope you and your family are well and best wishes lovely~ 🌻🖤✨
I use a leather bound book of shadows with handmade pages, and i know what you mean about the ink bleeding.
But i found a way around it by writing on an ordinary piece of paper and glueing it onto the handmade paper using a paper glue stick, kind of like a scrap book.
Then i colour in around the edges of the pages,
It works a treat.
Great vid Hearth 🙂👍
Love this! When I first started my practice, my first book of shadows was full of all different kinds of random entries, notes, thoughts, etc and I hated it. I didn't throw it away or rip out any pages but I did decide to start a new one. Now I usually write my notes and spells on separate pieces of paper for brainstorming prior to adding them in. When I do add them in, it's always after I have completed the spell or really reflected on the information and I am positive I want it permanently in my book of shadows. I always start by writing in pencil and then tracing over in pen so I know it's a neat as I can get it. Then I usually throw those note pages away after I've added them in. It's a whole process and I'm glad I'm no the only one who does that
Beautifully stated and related. You are one of the brightest lights on the internet. Cheers.
My book is a collection of misc. works, charms, poems, quotes, memories, moon cycles, stories, reminiscing, correspondence, defintions, books to read, even a few "related"garden notes, etc..
I got the idea -somewhere- to number pages as I went, then flip to last page of book to write a couple words or sentences and page number. As book fills in front, so it fills in back. (With a personalized index not bogged down with "topic sections"!) Easiest system ever.
When BOS pages meet index pages, - Start next book! I hope my daughter and grandchildren enjoy these books.
Heeey, im 17 and im from brazil. Just wanted to thank you for your amazing and helpful content ♡♡♡ sorry for my bad english hihi
Brasileira aqui tbm mana! Seu inglês tá ótimo
três brs no canal da hearth 😁
Oh girl-it's mas caliente out there. Welcome😆✌.
can't believe this video was half an hour, I really enjoyed it, it just flew by! I've been in the closet for so long and still am, I wish I started one years ago when I first started learning, it feel keeping one would've really helped propel my learning further (instead I've always felt I had to relearn stuff year after year) but I wish I was able to look back ad see how far I've come on this journey. its been 9 years since I did my first spell (that worked) but because I never had a BOS through fear of it being found I no longer have the spell because I didn't write it down and there was other spells and sigils etc that I've lost too because of this. years later I made an online one I had on in a word document that I kept on a usb stick ( which I would actually advise, you can put it on a long chain and wear it to keep it safe etc and easy to hide) but my family ended up needing to borrow the usb and the laptop and through fear of it being found I deleted it, unfortunately this was the days before the cloud and google drive so I was unable to find it or get it back, but if you do have a word document version, every time you work on it, save it on your usb obvs and then email it to yourself too!! But seriously couldn't agree more with hearth, write it all down and just go for it!!! own the mistakes and weird bits and doodles and whatever i is, it will add to the history and character of your books and down the line you'll laugh at those little things and enjoy them little things, the mistakes are humbling and beautiful in their own right!! I love this video so much!! thanks hearth!!! I think I'm going to go work on my BOS now
That last tip really hit home with me. I have a tendency to rip out pages because I think it looks horrible. I really need to work on not worrying about it so much
I love the idea of adding notes space!
Frixion pens are my dear friends lol. Pencil smears over time and these babies give you the look and feel of pen with the ability to cleanly erase mistakes. Also, I'm a planner girl, so I actually use a Happy Planner for my book of woo 😉. Gives me such piece of mind to be able to entirely move things around, change covers, change the discs (binding), add dividers, split topics into other books or cleanly take out pages I no longer want or need. I absolutely love and NEED that kind of flexibility. They have a line called the Stargazer (there's also a boho stargazer) that has a new age vibe to it. It features crystals, astrology, moon and star themes And stickers to go with it which are great for decorating your pages if you aren't skilled in the art realm or for those that don't have time to make intricate drawings. Not a traditional tea stained, witchy book, but this is a great options for people who aren't into the traditional BoS vibe.
Be careful with Frixion pens. I love them but they use heat to erase the ink through friction but other heat sources such as a radiator can fade the wording
@@kettleisalwayson if something gets erased that way you can put it in the freezer to bring it back 😉. Neat trick but it might also bring back everything you erased. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm using a photo album that I can slip sheets into. I love using watercolor paper, and get into making the pages colorful. It's kind of an art journal. :)
A half hour talk about BOS's.. damnit, I really should start one already! The itch is killing me now XD
Happy Birthday Hearth! 😊❤️🎊🎁
I think it's the best video I've seen about book of shadow and real helpful tips, especially about the aesthetic. thank you so much !
If you have a BoS that has blank pages in it & you have trouble writing straight lines, try putting a page with lines under the page you want to write on. This has helped me alot. If you can't see the lines, try going over them with a black pen, they will be easier to see.
I really love the information you give to all of us.
Blessed Be
I've watched a number of your videos today and I've gotta say you are a great RUclipsr... you talk off the cuff so easily, and you know your stuff so much. I appreciate your channel ♥️
True-Happy to have found her.
Something that has been great for me is that I now have a book that I write in BEFORE I write in my big fancy book of shadows. I got a journal for 2 bucks at the dollar store and that is where all my rough draft info, spells, associations, prayers, recipes, etc go when I need to write them down immediately. That way, I have it stored away someplace written down where I don't need to worry about it being super neat and tidy. Then, on a day when I feel I have the time to dedicate to making a super nice entry in my fancy BOS, I can spend the time to do that. It doesn't mean I have no mistakes in my fancy book, because I do and it's honestly unavoidable, especially if you're writing in ink. But, it makes my book a lot more nicer and organized when I'm able to rough draft in a book that i'm not worried about ruining.
I just love this video along with the others of yours that I’ve seen. Such great advice & knowledge to share. I’m glad you have such a big collection of videos so that I have plenty to watch & learn from.
I've been watching a number of videos on starting a BoS in preparation for an activity with my students. I just want to thank you, Hearth, for sharing such practical and down-to-earth advice!
I especially appreciate that you think of ways to adapt the keeping of the book for people's varying needs and abilities. And that you were so open and frank in sharing your mistakes and regrets over the years.
Thank you so much for all the effort you put into these videos! Brightest blessings to you!
Thanks so much for this, Hearth. You inspired me to buckle down and start working more seriously on my BOS. I have a handful of pages in a binder right now, but I was doing exactly what you say not to here and trying to organize everything by a Table of Contents and trying to make it look perfect. I'm going to start just writing what I need to and not worry about aesthetics.
I'm only 4 minutes in and I am already absolutely LOVING how inclusive this video is. THANK YOU for advocating for all your viewers.
I fluently speak latin, but I only use it in chants or when doing ancestral work. Otherwise, it gets very confusing even if I’ve been studying it for years
I love your description of the book of shadows as a diary - that has been what has really helped me from getting too blocked up trying to document my workings. Lots of great tips!
I know I'm super late to this video, but I have the exact same book as you do for one of your books of shadows! I'm planning on filling out the one I have now before I move to it, but I just got so excited!
The rubber your thinking of is a neadable eraser, and your so wonderful xxxx
I really, really, LOVE my tables of contents. It helps me organize my thoughts. I might still do the binder or the digital book of shadows idea though…
Table of contents is very important. Blank spaces can be filled with pictures, clippings, drawings, etc. that speak to you. If you are trying to stay hidden away take an old book and put your notes, thoughts, plans in it. Yes- write in a book and when you are able buy a journal and rewrite your ideas. Have fun.
My best advice on putting a BoS together, you can either type it out in a basic word document or notepad on your computer, or start with loose notebook paper in a 3-ring binder, which allows you the freedom to add or remove pages or rearrange the pages as necessary. From there, when you feel your "book" is ready, you can transfer the text to a dedicated book if you wish. That's what I've been doing with mine.
One thing I would offer as a potential addition to a BoS is a "family heritage section" like what is found in "family bibles" which includes family tree, birth and death records, military service records, whatever you feel is important to include in such a section. You don't have to include it, of course, but if you're doing one for "the clan" it could be a worthy inclusion.
Thank you SO much for this video. I am new to the Pagan world. Coming from Christianity to Wicca or Wiccan. I have a BOS and I am currently doing some of the tips you already mentioned but LOVE that you say to not worry about making mistakes and to just keep going and keep writing. I have been stressing out with making mistakes in my new blessed book, despite how many people tell me not to worry. Haha. I subscribed and cant wait to see more videos from you.
Blessed Be!
~Larry~
Thank you so much for your video! I can tell you take good care of your community! On table of contents I want to share: I needed a table of contents in my life so when I started mine (am very baby witch) I made the first page the table of contents, but instead of filling it out I just wrote out all the page numbers and left the title labels blank. I also labeled the pages from 0-100. This way I can go to page #9 and label it authors and friendship and add the page title on the table of contents. This gives me freedom to put any topic where there is space until filled but also let’s me put important topics on page numbers that coincide with certain topics in my brain. This helped me as numbers have always been super important to me and this is a way I spoil myself 😂 thanks for your video!!!
I'm just beginning my first Book of Shadows and found your tips to be incredibly helpful. I just subscribed to your channel and am looking forwad to checking out all your previous and future vlogs. Thank you!
9:00 a recommendation I would add. In my bujo, once I finish one then I out the contents by the topic and then I put the pages (expecially if I have them in different parts of book)
1) kneaded eraser is the rubber you were thinking of.
2) I use 3 ring binders and I use 1 for each subject. Then I can move the pages whenever I want and not worry about different subjects being mixed together and not being able to find the subject I’m looking for. I have a lot of interests in paganism and witchcraft so there’s no way it would all fit into one book anyway
3). White out, Correction tape, and double sided tape will be your best friends! It really lowers the stress of not messing up. It’s your BOS/grimoire/ book of mirrors. No one else should see it. (Unless you want them to)
I love the way you described everything and explained your own journey in making them! I've had the habbit of screenshotting, bookmarking online and emailing information to myself over the years assuming I'll remember where everything is despite never titling the files and although nothings really lost, it can be hard to make sense of why the information was saved or what context it was relevant to when originally saving it. The past couple months I've still used these tricks but paired them with better naming conventions, my phones' notepad apps, loose leaves of paper in folders, sticky notes, composition notebooks, flash drives and even taking pictures with my camera of sections of books or something on a whiteboard I'll have to erase. The possibilities are endless when you look at your general habits or immediate habitat. I love working with colors and have this thing in the back of my head where sections of what I'm writing need to be immediately distinguishable from another entry even if they are on the same page. To work with this I often grab a different pen or medium for new entries. My current BOS is just my general journal I was inspired by bullet journaling to structure and every few pages go from lead pencil to black pen to blue or colored pencils (and the page I do but don't regret making with thick red sharpie). Where I started tracking my moods, habits and exercise goals, important dates I needed to remembeer or project/research ideas to explore I later wanted to track how often I practiced different things in my craft. My schedule doesn't often let me do a daily tarot card but I do try to write a question or goal for the day and when I can I'll write the result of my daily card (or spread if I do one), what I understand the translation to be for me and reflect later that night or the next day how accurate it was or how it may have influenced the way I thought about a topic that had come up. Even an entry as simple as "This is a quote I came across and like" can be added. You don't have to cite the source or write 3 pages on what it means to you. You can vent about what's going on in your life and not have to justify it because it is yours. Your journey, your information, a reflection of where you were and where you want to go. So by all means: scribble out that word and rewrite it with the exact incorrect spelling and scribble and rewrite again over half that page with ink on your hand smudging along, leave that blank page you know you want to add something but are skipping it for now and onto the next, shove a folded up sticky note in the middle, tape a flower pedal, you do you but don't be afraid to 'do it'. ((Sorry for the spontaneous rant if this can be called one lol unorganized sidenote?))
for a discreet Book of Shadows I used a notebook brand that my family knows I use only for school and labeled it “ history” (I would also put protection charms on it) so to the prying eyes of my family it’s just notes for my history class. (nothing spooky here!) If you want to be REALLY stealthy about it you can sprinkle actual history notes in with your book of shadows.. idk hope this helps :D
Hidden in plain sight! Nice ;)
Ooooooo, I LOVE the idea of dictating the content too!! 😃 Then you can “enter” content while walking/exercise, doing dishes, driving, etc.
Also love the idea of writing in pencil first! Great idea! And water color! I love it! I need to look up this “byro pen” you mentioned. Have never heard of that. I don’t care if the writing is not the same throughout, as long as it looks nice. I think it would look nice to mix it up with various types of writing tools and paints…maybe even choosing one based on what I’m writing (e.g., calligraphy for titles, water color for plants, etc.).
If you really want to get an unlined book and still write straight lines, just print out some lines on a piece of paper and slide it behind the page your working on. Clearly this won’t work with super thick paper, but it’s a trick I learned long ago. And this way, you can get the spacing of lines wherever you want it. Same goes if you like to write in a spiral, just print it out first, slide it behind the page, write, and then, bam, it looks like you have awesome control. Great tips!!!
I've taken the pages out of an old dictionary with a nice cover and taken out the binder clip of a cheap folder, then I hoy glued the binder into the dictionary and BOOM asthetic book of Shadows with tea stained pages that can be swapped around and have new information slotted in or replaces!
I've had the same B.o.S since basically the start of my path. I've only ever written in it a handful of times. I always knew I wasn't that artistic but I gave it my best shot anyway and occasionally when I look through the old spells I cringe and laugh from embarrassment. There was a period in my life where I would mess up a word or the spelling or whatever and I would scribble over it. I did this even in the B.o.S. and while I know it makes the book look less appealing I have been watching your videos recently and reinforced that "This was just a stepping stone on my journey and this is proof that I sometimes stepped on the wrong stone and pretty frequently." I really appreciate your videos and I might start writing again. Especially since I have a lot more knowledge now. Oh my this got long fast....hehe...