~ A Book of Shadows ~

Every witch should have one, as it is a most useful tool in finding the true self.
A mirror for all our many reflections.

Each one of us has the ability to shine upon our shadow self,
but this may only happen if we choose to light our own illumination.
This is where a Book of Shadows may help us to see the path our soul has chosen.
It is an archive of information, that only you can create for yourself.

Begin by selecting a blank paged notebook,
or if you are a digital Wiccan,
you may prefer to lay your hands upon the keyboards
and let your fingers do the walking.
I find that my need for perfection, tends to drive me in this direction,
'cause my flow is never interrupted by my own critique of my handwriting.
I can also choose the font to match the mood that's being created!

Dreams,
meditations,
rituals,
the results of divination, such as:
tarot,
rune stones,
I-Ching,
astrology,
all your findings can be recorded here
for the insights they may offer both now and later.
Retrospection is a powerful light!

It helps to begin by dating the page,
so you can more easily see the pattern that will, most assuredly, be revealed.
If you make entries throughout a single day,
you may want to record the hour and minutes.
Numbers
Timing
These 2 are part of the pattern your soul will weave!

Here's an example of an entry in my own Book of Shadows:

CANDLEMAS
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2000

i drew on mana this day...
watching the taro leaf swirl on the backs of the cards,
i thought about the islands, the loi, the kin.
pushing aside ideas about what i feel i "still had to do" rather than this moment,
this card,
this illumination, this opportunity to see, my self.
my hand grasps, between it's index and middle finger, this one.
flipping it over,
i see...

Mana
4

not odd.
2 + 2 has been on my mind all day...
union ceremonies, double dates, more kin 2gather!
loi - kalo - plane tix...

back to the card:
a man sits,
cross legged,
hands palm-up, resting on knees...
flames levitate above each palm,
and above his hairless head.
he's surrounded by an egg shaped white background,
the border to that, a background of lavender.
he levitates within his egg, which below him,
becomes the white caps of a cresent of blue waves.
four different plants fill the foreground in each respective corner.
(mmm...don't recognize the plants.... one is like taro...
to the accompaning guide book?)
it sez:

Chant:
"Mana i ka pua ua mohalo malie"
There is mana in the flower that has blossemed slowly.

Teaching:
Mana is the energy that flows through the universe, energy that is essential for life.
Mana is a force that is neither good nor evil. Like energy, it just "is".
Also like energy, it can be used for order or chaos.

(this is where the book gets into the native hawaiian beliefs regarding mana,
which i would love to pass on to you by recounting here, however, suggest
we honor copyright laws by you making a purchase of your own.
on the back of the book it states:
"A portion of the proceeds from Mana Cardsgoes toward
the preservation of the Hawaiian way of life for future generations.")

Interpretation:
suggests a four part breathing exercise
suggests that you can increase your confidence and charisma
by increasing your mana, which is how the exercise helps.
breathing meditation leads to the calmness of mind that enables one to be
clear about how to make the best use of life energy.

looks like i should sit still for awhile and focus on breathing
life can get 2 bizzzzy some timezzzz
sniff flowers on way
breath

2morrow
i will write,
publish,
maybe research those plantz....