Words of Protection....

I summon forth the strength of Gnomes

and conjure up these walls of stone,

Protect my soul, my flesh and bone,

My will the key, and that alone.
Tower of light,

Fountain of force,

Circle of purity,

Ward of infinity.
I summon forth the will of Sylphs,

and conjure up these Winds of Fate,

Protect my knowledge, my soul as I concentrate,

My will the key, this wind will not abate.
Three times around,

three times about,

evil is bound,

evil stays out.
I summon forth the passion of Salamanders,

and conjure up these ancient watch fires,

Protect my love, my sword and spires,

My will the key, this tome will know no liar.
Pillar of light,

dispersing the shadow,

protecting my destiny.
I summon forth the emotions of Undines,

and conjure up the mists of time, P

rotect my creations, my dreams in trine,

My will the key, this book forever mine.

Protection Spell....

Day: Saturday (Ruled by Saturn)
Sun: Any (Mars Ruled 0r Saturn Ruled prefered) Sun Sign
Moon: New or Waxing (In Scorpio)

Place your book between two black candles (to absorb negativity) for an hour prior to casting. Take a ritual bath, meditate, whatever you need to do to be of the right mind.

Cast Your Circle.

Light two white candles on either side of your book.

Anoint your Book with apropriate oil.

Draw a circle arround it with Sea Salt.

Then begin visualizing a forcefield arround your book and speak your protections.

When you are done, allow the candles to burn out then wrap your book in a natural fiber clothe and put it away.

Magick can only do so much, if you leave your Book of Shadows out for someone to read it, all the magickal protections in the world might not help you.

Protecting your Secrets....

This is where one might document what protections have been placed on ones Book of Shadows. I feel it important to note that these spells are first cast on the physical form that your book takes, i.e. the 3-ring binder or journal. In the mean while don't just post your secrets all over the internet.

My digital book of shadows takes the form of a Netbook computer, is under password and always with me. My cell phone is a magickal tool with which I take notes and observations and post them here, or if I feel it needn't be shared so openly, I TXT them to my email account.

After you have cast your protections on your binder, and in cases like mine on your computer.

Post the protections set, after the dedication of your BoS.

Remember like all magickal tools these too should be cleansed and consecrated prior to use.

As with all spells, the effectiveness of a Protection Spell must be largely attributed to the will of the worker. If the will of the worker is weak, so will the spell also be. Work them with confidence and resolve.

Blessed Be;
Echo

I Dedicate These pages....

May this journal be more than just a recording of my past work, But also a guide to my future, by showing me where I have errored and what I have yet to learn. May it aid me in growing spiritually and magically in accordance with all that is free May the Triple Goddess and the Horned God bless my work and my life.

Forgotten are the gods in lands they called their own, long ago many were loved, Now they call upon one alone. In my heart, they are alive and ever shall they be. I ask that the love, protection and guidance I have received continue forever more May these writings reflect my love and devotion, and the light of the Ancients reflect in my work.

May the spirit of the Fae shine from its pages, enchanted and enchanting. I ask that they dance their blessings into these pages as we walk the paths of our faith. Touching the sky above me and swimming in the deep waters, One with the earth embracing the new life that springs forth. As I set the world on fire.

As I Will, So Mote It Be.

The Charge... My Calling....

This is more a Journal of my spirituality and less a Grimmoiré of magick spells and recipes. Though you will find the occasional working in its pages. Spiritual matters or those involving humankind's ultimate nature, not merely as material biological organisms, but as beings with a unique relationship to that which is beyond both time and the material world. Spirituality is the personal, subjective dimension of religion. It also can be connotative of the nature of believers' personal relationship or "connection" with their gods, as opposed to the general relationship with a Deity as shared by all members of a given faith.

To experience a spiritual calling is truly rare, and among practitioners of the craft rarely recognized, however, it is usually the Calling that brings us to discover Witchcraft, or as many phrase it, we all experience the Charge of the Goddess at some point. Some are young, some are older, for some it is their first and only path, for others they have to search down many dead ends to find the right way. However, at some point we all find ourselves at a spiritual crossroads, we all find a point when we have to make a choice.

I have read that the Charge comes to each of us in a different manner. It is that moment in our lives when we feel the Magick of the Universe coursing through us for the very first time, and we know beyond all real and imagined shadows that this calling to the mysteries is indeed there.

It is not a whimsical flight from reality.

I first felt the charge when I was about nine years old, I reached a crossroad and have never looked back.

Title Page and Blessing....

The Smoke and Mirrors
Book of Shadows and Light
~Assembled by Echo: January 2008 to Present~
~Amended From April 1996 and Reborn of the Hidden Realms~

In the realms of magick this book shall reside.
None but the chosen shall see what is inside.

If breath be to air as passion to fire,
Let harm come to none, this is my desire.

If life be to earth as water to emotions,
This book be filled with magickal potions.

May the Ancients protect it, keep it from harm,
And upon it bestow power, magick and charm.

This book of mine harbors no fears,
The knowledge obtained through many years.

Magick is my passion, the spirits my guide.
The book may she bless it with spiritual light.

Forward Thinking....

My parents had a unique way of working with my siblings and I, a functional way to get arround the "I wants."

When I was five I told my Mom that I wanted to get my ears peirced, my mom said "If you still want peirced ears when you turn six, you can have it done." So I waited and the day before I turned six my mother asked me "Do you still want your ears peirced?" I said yes, and the next day my Mom and my Sister-in-Law (My oldest brothers Wife) pulled me out of kindergarten and took me to the mall where I had holes punched in my ears and got to hug the softest teddy-bear ever. My first girls day out, a wonderful day.

That year after school let out I told my Mom that I wanted short hair (mine had always been to my butt) and she said "If you still want a hair cut in September, we'll get you cut before you go back to school." At the end of August mom asked me if I still wanted short hair, and I said yes. So again, she and my Sister-in-Law took me out, and donated my hair to Lochs-for-Love and had ice cream.

That year, when I turned seven I asked if I could get a perm. Mom said if I wanted it when I was nine I could have it. And the pattern continued.

I have been non-christian by my own declaration since I was nine. When I was eleven I told my parents I didn't want to go to church with the pastor (who lived across the street) anymore, they both agreed that I wouldn't go to church but I should continue with vacation bible school and the youth groups for a year. Then I was given the choice, when we moved to stop going to church, and I stopped.

That was the end of the "I wants" from me a little more than a year later, my mom gave me a book by Edgar Cayce and my Dad gave me Celtic Shaman by John Matthews. And I was asked if this is what I beleived. I said yes. My parents let things stand at that for a while, but after another year when I turned thirteen (in 1995) and my Dad moved my sibs and I to Utah, he gave me a little yellow computer disc that was a copy of his own book of shadows that he had been keeping since 1972.

In the years since that Book of Shadows has been lost twice and rebuilt, added to and edited, as we approach my 15th year as a practicing Witch I want to remember where I came from, and share what has made me who I am.

Blessed Be;
Echo

Syllabus....

There is nothing so daunting to a writer as a blank page, any student can tell you that getting started isn't easy.

So lets start with a list of things commonly included in a Book of Shadow hmm?

Table of Contents

1. A Title Page
2. A Book Blessing
3. A Dedication
4. Protection Spell
5. Table of Contents (I usually keep this vague and don't put page numbers)
6. Glossary of Terms (I don't include this, I feel that a Witch shouldn't need one to understand your BoS so by including it you are basically explaining to an outsider what has been written.)
7. Sacred and traditional texts like The Wiccan Rede and or The Charge of the Goddess.
8. Information on the Elements
9. Information on Goddesses and Gods
10. Lores: Moon, dragon, fairy, etc.
11. Astrological Information relevant to Writing Spells and Rituals
12. Outlines: Spells, rituals, altar set-ups, etc.
13. Correspondences: Amulets, colors, incenses, stones, symbols, etc.
14. Information on the Sabbats (Wiccan holidays) and Wiccan Wheel of the Year (calendar for the cycle of the seasons)
15. Recipes: Food, incense, oils, etc.
16. Meditations: Chants, prayers, poetry, etc.
17. Divination Studies: Runes, palmistry, tarot, ouiji, etc.

Of course, there is a lot more that can be included in your Book of Shadows and any of the things I listed can also be taken out. As I demonstrated in perenthesis. In My Book of Shadows you will also find essays that I have written or enjoyed, information on the Tools I use with the story of how I came by each. Projects I have worked on for my Coven and things I have learned as a Solitaire Practioner. It all depends on your path choice and what you personally feel needs to be in there. If it doesn't feel right, you're not at all required to keep it in your book. Soon enough, you'll see that your book will become full before you know it.

The order in which you put things doesn't matter. It's personal preference. It can be organized and sorted in any way you feel comfortable with, just remember that this book and its contents will become a very important part of your magickal practice and you'll be using it often. You'll want to be able to find things easily.

Getting Started...

A Book of Shadows is more than a journal. Though is often not kept by those who do not keep Journals. If you have the discipline to stick with it, a Book of Shadows is often the most usefull Tool in a Witches arsenal.

In this book you will include information about your Wiccan experiences. Consider it your personal path reference book. Since it is such a personal thing, many Wiccans rarely lend it out (if ever) and only share with those who are very close to them, perhaps eventually even passing the book on to a special person.

I do not stand by the tradition that this book should be hand written, I am of the school that if our predecesors had, had the tools that we have today, they would have used them. I do not feel at all guilty to admit that my hand writing is atrocious, or that I like being organized, or even that I don't always think in a straight line. I am a very non-linear person, and I beleive most of the world is just like me except they are in denial.

However, any way you wish to keep your Book of Shadows is fine, there is no benefit to handwriting it, some say it puts more of your personal energy into the pages, I find I dedicate more time and energy to mine when its on my computer than otherwise. Just make sure you are comfortable with whatever utensil you use, whether it be your keyboard, a pencil, or even a sharpie.

The are many beautifully bound books, but instead of keeping it in the form of an actual book, you can also keep the information in a 3-ring binder (my choice) Because you can insert pages in specific sections and keep it all organized, or on a disk where you can add, change or remove information. Simply make sure that it feels right to you.

In this Blog, we will assume that you are like me and create it on the computer and if it survives for three months without editing or removal, print it out (always keep a digital copy and back up) to be slid into your 3-ring binder.

What You Need

• A 2" 3-ring binder in a color that attracts you or your find magickal, this will probably not be large enough, but I beleive in creating vollumes. This should have the thin transparent plastic sleeve on the outside so you can design a cover.
• Sheet Protectors. These are plastice sleeves that are drilled for binders and designed to have your paper slid inside of them. This will keep them from needing to be re-printed every year or so. Save a Tree.
• Non-Drilled Printer Paper. This can be as simple as 500 sheet for two dollars of white Printer-Copier paper, or you can invest a few extra dollars and get Stationary you can usually find Resume Stationary in a Parchment pattern easily enough of course it may be dear, at 10 sheets for three dollars or you can go to a paper and stationary store and buy your Hemp paper, Parchment or Vellum cut to 10 1/2 by 11 or printer sized in bulk (My preference.) After all something that will become your most usefull tool should have a little bit of a cost to it.