Book of Shadows
A book that contains liturgical rituals and texts of the Wicca religion is called the Book of Shadows (from the English Book of Shadows, commonly abbreviated as BOS ) . It is usually seen as a basic framework that the initiator traditionally copies by hand from the book of shadows by the priestess initiating him and expanding it according to his personal needs.
Some modern witches and eclectic Wiccans view the Book of Shadows as a kind of workbook . In it, for example, descriptions of herbs , spells and rituals are collected. A book of shadows also contains diary-like entries on experiences with and results of rituals, mixtures , sayings, meditations , visions , sometimes even the entire career as a witch including the first exercises. This is how a modern book of shadows differs from a traditional grimoire .
etymology
The term was coined by Gerald Brousseau Gardner and according to Doreen Valiente should be traced back to an article by Mir Bashir , which was entitled The Book of Shadows and dealt with a Sanskrit document on divination .
development
A distinction is made between various text versions written by Gerald Brousseau Gardner. The oldest version is Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical (commonly abbreviated as BAM), followed by Text A, Text C, BOS 1953 and BOS 1957. The last two versions were largely revised by Doreen Valiente, who acted as Gardner's high priestess from 1953 and many texts newly written or revised. In particular, she removed many ceremonial-magic passages.
content
The exact contents of the Book of Shadows in the Wicca Religion are secret and will only be revealed to other initiates. Common contents of a book of the shadows of modern witches or of eclectic wiccas include:
- contents
- Glossary with technical terms (a kind of witch's lexicon)
- various magical correspondence
- Future forecasting capabilities
- Herbs
- Dictionary
- Cultivation and care
- Processing (recipes)
- Mode of action
- Gemstones
- Symbols
- Texts (with included own experiences; a kind of instruction manual) on different types of magic (e.g. candle, color, moon, herbal, gemstone, cord magic)
- (self-developed) rituals
- various spells and spells
- beautiful poems, formulas, sayings and wisdom
- Manual work instructions
Peculiarities of different traditions
- In the Gardnerian Wicca there is a single book of shadows , which is written in English.
- The Book of Shadows in the Alexandrian Wicca is also divided into two parts, one that is individual, one that is created and maintained by the Covens Circle.
- In the Algard Wicca the book is written in German and divided into three parts, which are given to the initiators depending on their degree
Trivia
- The term became known to a wider public through the television series Charmed . You can now order a book of shadows as a merchandising item by mail order.
- The follow-up film to the Blair Witch Project from 2000 was called Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 in the original US title , although a Book of Shadows did not appear anywhere in it.
- In the computer game The Binding of Isaac , the "Book of Shadows" is a collectable item.
- In the games of the Corpse Party series, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows and Corpse Party: Blood Drive , the "Book of Shadows" plays an important role.
- It is common to write parts or the entire book in a secret script (mostly the Theban alphabet is used for this).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner , Llewellyn Books, pp. 79–80, (without ISBN).
- ^ Doreen Valiente (1989). The Rebirth of Witchcraft . Robert Hale, London, p. 51 f. ISBN 0-7090-3715-5 .
Web links
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/index.htm (search on the right)