The History of the Book of Shadows

One of the first Books of Shadows was created by Gerald Gardner (renowned for pioneering Wicca) during the mid-twentieth century. He used this book in his first coven and later in other covens he established. However, the Book of Shadows was not associated solely with Wiccan covens. It also served as a tool of Alexandrianism and Hermeticism. Gardner believed ancient witches practiced the art of keeping such books throughout history. However, although there is no evidence to support this, several possibilities exist for his belief.

• Witchcraft was alive and well before the printing press was invented, and many years before printing was commonplace.
• Many ancient witches were illiterate, even after the printing press became widely available.
• Another plausible explanation for the lack of evidence of any books is the tradition that a witch's Book of Shadows is to be destroyed upon death.

The book was to be burned to ashes so no one would ever know they were a witch, which makes sense considering one could be burned "at stake" for witchcraft. However, when he created the Book of Shadows, no other covens were known to have or require them. Gardner referred to his book as one with magical spells that worked for him. The story behind how he named the book 'The Book of Shadows' is rather interesting.

In 1949, Gerald Gardner and another man, Mir Bashir, posted articles in The Occult Observer, a magazine of the time. Gardner's post advertised his new book, High Magic's Aid. Mir Bashir, a palmist, posted an advertisement directly opposite Gardner's. It was titled The Book of Shadows, an ancient Sanskrit manual on divining the future from an individual's shadow. It is theorized, by some, that Gardner adopted this title for his coven's grimoire, his book of spells. It is essential to note that not all traditions refer to their spell books as a "Book of Shadows." Sometimes, the Book of Shadows is referred to as The Tree, The Book of Ways, or simply The Book.

Gardner's book contained much information gleaned from the writings of Aleister Crowley, far more than from ancient texts, as he initially informed his followers. In 1953, his high priestess, Doreen Valiente, confronted him about this. After discussing it, Gardner left it up to her to rewrite his Book of Shadows, which she did. She softened the content somewhat (Crowley was quite extreme in some of his beliefs and wordiness), while leaning more toward traditional witchcraft. Doreen also wrote the poem "The Witches' Rune" and contributed to the creation of the Wiccan Rede.

In earlier times, the Book of Shadows was kept by the priest or priestess. Its contents were kept secret. For example, Gardner's book was altogether secret until copies were sold and secrets leaked out. Many covens allow their members to have a copy in today's world. Additionally, solitary witches now create their own Book of Shadows. There are now as many versions of a Book of Shadows as people, pagan traditions, and practices. Many of these newer books bear little resemblance to the original Book of Shadows. Now, unless one is a coven member involved in higher magic, they are mostly considered books of inspiration.

Television shows, movies, games, and even comic books have presented the Book of Shadows to intrigue audiences. For example, the television show Charmed, the films Practical Magic and The Craft, and the game Dungeons & Dragons. In most instances, the Book of Shadows is poorly represented and taken entirely out of its original context, as with the Tarot Devil.

In modern covens, Wiccans often keep two different Books of Shadows. There's the coven book that cannot be changed in any way. It contains rituals and magical practices that initiates can copy from but not add to. The second book is the initiate's personal Book of Shadows, which includes esoteric information the initiate collects for themselves, such as the metaphysical studies of herbs, essential oils, stones and crystals, astrology, numerology, gods and goddesses, and divination, which is often referred to in the twenty-first century as a journal. In some instances, this journal is not a book at all. It is an electronic document placed on a flash drive or a website. In addition to the second book, there may also be a third, the Book of Mirrors. The Book of Mirrors is typically used to record one's experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the rituals and spells practiced from the Book of Shadows.

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