Book of Shadows

Hey there,
I'd like to share with you some of the things that I write in my Book of Shadows. I actually have two of them.

The first one is what I wrote when I started studying Wicca. I call it a Grimoire. The things that are in it are all of the basics of spell and ritual castings. I've written about the correspondences and tools and how to set up and alter. You know, just little things like that. I've drawn alot of pictures in it too. All of the writing is done with a black pen. I wanted to make sure I didn't mess up too much, so before I wrote in it I typed it in a Word document. This way it was organized and I knew exactly word for word what to write. So, yeah. It's just a little red book with about 100 pages.

My second Book of Shadows is a spiritual journal that I keep. I write about my rituals and spells and my deities. I write about everything, really. I put in it my personal feelings on certain rituals, and how spells have worked. I go further in depth in my beliefs and experiences. This one has a book blessing in it, meaning no one can read it but me, unless I give permission. My Grimoire is the one that I'll let people read because there's not many personal elements in it. My Book of Shadows, though, has a lot of personal thoughts in it. It's deffinately bigger than my Grimoire; it has about 500 pages.

Everyone is always asking me, "So, what am I supposed to write in it?" Well, that's the beauty of it. There's no 'rule' that says what you can and cannot write in it. A Book of Shadows is something that is sacred to YOU. You put what you want in it. I always say, write everything. Later, if you've changed your mind about something you wrote, don't rip out the page. Write another entry about it and why you changed your mind. It's all part of learning your path.

My Books are hand made. I thought about buying one, but I knew my friend Andrea made a book once. I had her teach me how. I think I've said in a previous post that anything you make is better than buying it. I don't want to say that buying a journal is wrong because it's your Book. You do what you can do and whatever is more convenient to you. Another thing to know: It's not called Book of Shadows because it holds dark things. It's called that because whatever is written in it is shadowed to the eyes of others. So, you don't have to share it with your friends or coven members if you don't want to.

Thanks for reading!
Blessed Be.
Alice

Good Reads

Hey There,
I've got tons of homework today so I don't really have the time to go in depth with anything. I decided to share with you some really good books about Wicca. I know that not that many libraries have a huge selection, so you can always ask for an inter library loan. If you want to buy them, Amazon has absolutely everything.

A Book of Pagan Prayer
By Ceisiwr Serith
This is all about rituals and holidays. It's probably my favorite part of Wicca.

I haven't personally read anything by Scott Cunningham, but everyone seems to love his books. They are at the top of the list of books about Wicca.

Teen Witch
By Silver Ravenwolf
This one is mostly about the basics and if you were Christian and are converting to Wicca this is really good. Some people highly recommend Silver Ravenwolf and others say to stay away from her. It's really about preference of writing.

Drawing Down the Moon
By Margo Adler
It's kind of out dated but it has a lot of information about pagan traditions.

Wicca for Beginners
By Thea Sabin
This gives you ways to find the right path for you, which is something that everyone should know.

Lid off the Cauldron
By Patricia Crowther
I haven't read this but I see it a lot on other people's lists.

Wicca's Charm
By Catherine Edwards Sanders
Gives you an understanding of why people follow Wicca. Probably something to give to your parents when they disapprove.

Spellbound
By Teresa Moorey
This was the first book I read about Wicca. It has a good list of correspondences and some cute spells for beginners.

Covencraft
By Amber K
This is all about practicing Wicca in a group.

This is really all I can think up right now. If you know anymore good books to add, please leave a comment. You can never read too much of one subject. For book reviews, check www.witchvox.com
It's also a good website to find other Wiccans in your area. Please note: don't give away too much personal information. Sadly, you never know who's telling the truth or not.

By the way, if you want to email me, go to my profile and click Email.
Divine.Alice@hotmail.com

Blessed Be.
Alice

Charms

Hey guys,
There are many ways to make charms. One of the more popular ways is to use a charm bag. It's really just a pouch full of herbs and other things to promote whatever you need.

One charm that I 'invented' is kind of like a craft. You mix 2 tbs flour, 1 tbs salt, 1 tbs water, other herbs, and bake it.

Before you make a charm you must know the correspondences. There aren't many trustworthy online correspondence tables, but here's one that I found that is for the most part okay.
This one is for stones.
This one is for colors.

One of my charms is to promote friendship. I made it by substituting water with lemon juice and adding a pinch of clove. I mixed it together and it created a dough, which was baked at 350 for about 15 minutes. I love making these kinds of charms because you can mold it to be whatever shape you want. I usually poke a hole in it after it's halfway baked. Then I can tie ribbon on it to make it pretty. (: I did this with my friendship charm with a pink ribbon. You can also paint it or glue things to it. Carry it with you every time you go out.

I also made a charm bag to promote sleep because I always have a hard time falling asleep. I used a blue pouch and filled it with chamomile, rosemary, and thyme. I place it under my pillow when I can't sleep. Works like a charm! (Haha. Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
With charm bags, you can put anything you want in it. Most people put stones or shells in it to make it stronger.
I've seen many other ways to make charms. It can be made out of an ordinary object if you wanted.

One thing to know about anything you use in Wicca is that the more time you spend with an object, the more charged it is. Anything you can make yourself is much better than buying it because it's sacred to you. Another way to charge something is to use it in a circle or bathe it in moonlight.
I hope you guys have fun making charms! If you have any questions at all, just post a comment.
Blessed Be.
Alice

Karma

An it harm none, do as ye will.

Hey guys,
I thought the best thing to start out with is to talk about the Wiccan Rede. Yes, the Wiccan Rede is very long and I deffinitely don't expect anyone to go and memorize it. Just remember those 8 little words up there^. Basically, it says that whatever you put out into the universe, it will come back at you times three.
Let's say you did a spell to make a boy think about you. (Please note that these kinds of spells go against the Rede because they go against a person's free will.) The spell comes into play and he texts you and wants to know if you can hang out. On a normal day, he wouldn't have done this and things go back that way a few days later. Suddenly, all you can think about is him for the next month. And the worst part is, he's not thinking about you as much as you are thinking about him. Almost as if the spell reversed itself.
This kind of thing happens all the time. And it doesn't just go for spells. It's everything you do. Including the good things. So if you were to volunteer at a soup kitchen and spent that time kindly serving food and washing dishes, good things will happen to you. Your mom might get a raise and take you on a shopping spree.
Both of these situations have happened to friends I know. But if you do something really good and nothing good comes your way, don't be discouraged. Everyone starts their life with a clean slate, meaning you are on the line. Do good things and you will be above the line. Bad things will get you below the line. The more bad you do, the farther down you go, and it's a long climb back up.

Sorry this entry doesn't seem very fun, but it's important to know before you do anything. And I suggest not to do spells if you are starting out because they're really for the more experienced. I still try not to do spells. You never know what could go wrong.
Check back tomorrow! I'll be posting about charms. (:
Blessed Be.
Alice

First Blog :)

Hey There,
I am so excited to get started with this blog. I'll first tell you a little about me. I'm currently 15 years old. I've been studying and practicing Wicca for about 3 years now. I love casting circles and meditating. I love everything about Wicca and I'm still researching and learning as much as I can. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have for me. Just post a comment (:
This blog is mostly going to be things that every witch should now about Wicca. I'll be posting recipes and rituals and such for the Sabbats and Esbats, I'll give book lists and other websites to go to to further your knowledge and such, and anything else you want to know or share.
Blessed Be.
Alice