I wish I had a book like this when I began my journey back in 1989. Throughout the years, I’ve used various notebooks, including both hardcover journals and spiral notebooks. Like you, I’ve even hastily scribbled spells and rituals on Post-it notes and grocery receipts. These are ways to compose a grimoire, true, but for me, it was messy and unwieldy. I hated dragging out multiple spell books only to find out the spell I wanted was actually scribbled on the back of a utility bill lurking in the bottom of my purse.
If you have a Virgo spirit like myself, that kind of spell keeping doesn't come close to working. Like myself, you'll need a Book of Shadows (BoS) that is sturdy, organized, well-designed, and easy to use. Ms. Telesco created a book for just that purpose. In these pages, you'll see how she helps the seeker build a BOS that you'll adore and use indefinitely, potentially even for generations. She makes the process fun and interesting and something you look forward to.
The first section of the book is devoted the actual construction of the BoS. Here, you’ll find instructions on how to make your own paper, inks and artwork. Of course, you might not want to go to that length, so using three-ring binders, hardcover journals and even spiral notebooks is acceptable. Not all of us have the wherewithal to take on such a task, but the intrepid among us will love it. There are instructions for making book covers and bookbinding as well, but again, for the less intrepid of us, we may prefer to go to a professional bookbinder and have it made in their workshop.
A table of contents and an index are essential. You may also want to compose cross references. In that regard, I use my Scrivener editor to create a workable table of contents. Scrivener’s binder section makes it easy to place topics in alphabetical order. When I’m finished with that, I can hand write the table of contents into my new BoS. In regards to hand writing, learning calligraphy adds another layer of beauty and mystery to one's BoS. There are Youtube videos that help with this.
The last section present ideas for content, such as correspondence tables, charts detailing herbs, stones, and planetary alignments. She also included sample rituals and spells to get the novice started.
For the rest of us, we can collect all of our random spiral notebooks and scraps of paper containing spells, rituals or the recipe for that gorgeous scented incense your coven mate gave you, and give all of those treasures a new home. A Book of Shadows that is distinctly yours, intensely personal and loved for generations to come.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass
Author: Patricia Telesco
Crossed Crow Books, 2025
pp. 294, p. $19.95
Editor's note: This is a reprint of Telesco's original book which has been out of print for more than a decade.
