lol, got another question!

[bobkitty1123]

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccaandpaganismbasics/ht/BOS.htm
Though, weither to accept this as a legimate choice is up to you but here is what one woman wrote about the Book of Shadows.

I, myself keep one. I write spells, herbal recipes, chants, full moon and new moon dates, and more. It helps keep me organized. Which is the whole point of a book of shadows. :}  

[Tirissana]

grapeseed

I personally don't believe there is anything wrong with using a letter k in the word magic(k). I also know many other Pagans and people of different paths who feel the same way about the word. To each their own.

I think a lot of people get annoyed with it because Silver Ravenwolf uses that spelling of the word and there are a lot of Pagans/Wiccans/whatever they may be who realllllllly don't like her.

When I see the word "magic" I think about a magic show, with a guy in a tuxedo and a black top hat. When I see the word "magick" or "magik" I think of real world witchcraft. That's just my personal view on the matter.

heart

The spelling of the word magick refers to ceremonial magic. I've had several people who have been pagan for several years yell at me and others for using the k. I used to spell it magick instead of magic because I played FFXII a lot then and was obsessed with it even after I beat it, out of a habit. There are times when I want to spell magic with a k but that's because it's a habit. But I remember I'm not a Thelemite and there isn't a good reason for me to.  

[TeaDidikai]

grapeseed

I think a lot of people get annoyed with it because Silver Ravenwolf uses that spelling of the word and there are a lot of Pagans/Wiccans/whatever they may be who realllllllly don't like her.

This, as far as I can tell for the vast majority of individuals in this guild, isn't the case- and is more than a little insulting to me, personally.

To suggest it is out of mere annoyance with Ravenwolf paints those of us who object as simple fools who can't separate our dislike for an individual from honest actions of said person. Quite a generalization that.

See- I object to the ignorance. Ignorance of the context and history of the word and ignorance of context- instead, justifying the application as you have below.

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When I see the word "magic" I think about a magic show, with a guy in a tuxedo and a black top hat. When I see the word "magick" or "magik" I think of real world witchcraft. That's just my personal view on the matter.

heart

Your personal view on the matter is ignorant of the historical application of illusion within religious traditions and ignores the fact that context, and context alone, is enough to distinguish between the modern spiritual concept and illusion.  

[Kuroiban]

An amusing little story about the use of "K" in the word magic, which both me and a friend of mind think is silly.

In a game we both like, which is loosely based off of feudal era Japan, there is a style of evil blood magic called "Maho"

My friend, one day, tell me "Did you know, in actual Japanese, the word Maho just means "Magic". Anything from stage magic to sorcery."

I smirk. "Wouldn't sorcery be 'mahok'?"

He paused. He sighed. He laughed.  

[TeaDidikai]

bobkitty1123

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccaandpaganismbasics/ht/BOS.htm
Though, weither to accept this as a legimate choice is up to you

It's not a good site. Not only is it ignorant of several religious traditions, opting to make sweeping generalizations, but it doesn't cite it's sources, and speaks with authority where it has none.

Let's start with the refutation shall we?

Website

The Book of Shadows (BOS) is used to store information you'll need in your magical tradition.

No, it really isn't. See, my tradition has no such concept in and of itself, though it does have some loan concepts that I use personally, it is not part of my magical tradition. Further- it ignores the actual terms many other paths have for such a text. It also confuses very specific terms that are not universally applicable.

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Many Pagans and Wiccans feel a BOS should be handwritten, but some use a computer to store information as well.

This is again, ignorant of numerous traditions and is treating Paganism as a unified ideology.

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Bear in mind that a BOS is considered a sacred tool,

This isn't universal either, and projecting the author's personal tradition onto all of paganism is arrogant at best.

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which means it is an item of power that should be consecrated with all of your other magical tools.

And what about traditions wherein such an act would be considered debasing?

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Make sure you write legibly enough that you’ll be able to read your notes during a ritual!

Wow... this part assumes that just because you have such a book, you practice rituals wherein you need said book.

I can tell you what my aunt would say if I suggested something like this- she'd tell me I wasn't in a position to practice whatever I was doing if I couldn't remember how to do it right.

But then... what can I say- my Aunt has standards for my behavior.

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To make your Book of Shadows, begin with a blank notebook.

How curious. After prattling on about how you should consecrate it and all, it jumps right to buying something rather than making it yourself.

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A popular method is to use a three-ring binder so items can be added and rearranged as needed.

This is largely popular because most people seeking guidance for such an activity don't belong to an established tradition wherein such instruction is already provided. Another generalization.

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If you use this style of BOS, you can use sheet protectors as well, which is great for preventing candle wax and other ritual drippings from getting on the pages!

Heaven forbid people actually learn how to take care of there s**t. confused

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Whatever you select, your title page should include your name.

Ah, so a book about a tradition should be centered on the self. Not the gods- not the tradition, not the service thereof, but on the individual.

More generalizations, and rather thoughtless ones at that.

For what it is worth, the translations I am putting together begin with a dedication- to my Baba, my family- past and future, and my gods.

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What format should you use? Some witches are known to create elaborate Books of Shadows in secret, magical alphabets. Unless you’re fluent enough in one of these systems that you can read it without having to check notes or a chart, stick with your native language.

Didn't cross the authors mind that writing a whole ******** book in said language and putting the effort into the translation might actually educate you... oh wait, they did mention it would help in memorization. They just didn't follow that logic in their other statements and decided to contradict themselves.

And this says nothing about traditions which may expect you to pen it in a language that isn't your own.

I don't write the prayers I was raised with in English after all. Part of preserving the tradition is preserving the language.

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While a spell looks beautiful written out in flowing Elvish script or Klingon lettering, the fact is that it’s just hard to read unless you’re an Elf or a Klingon.

This pretty much assumes that being easy is the best thing one can be. confused

How odd. And I love the reliance on fantasy languages. It isn't as though serious pagans from other cultural traditions might have some legit language they should consider.

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Laws of your coven or tradition: Believe it or not, magic has rules. While they may vary from group to group, it’s a really good idea to keep them at the front of your BOS as a reminder of what constitutes acceptable behavior and what doesn’t.

So, not only does this disregard any actual rules of a tradition that would say... prohibit changing such a text's order, but it presumes that you aren't a moral enough person to know what is right and what is wrong. The author assumes you are so infantile that you need to have "DON'T BE A d**k" written in big bold letters in a "sacred object".

Maybe they would also suggest that you paste post-it-notes on all the ritual tools they want consecrated alongside your book with the same rules.

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After all, if you don’t set yourself some guidelines, how will you know when you’ve crossed over them?

Critical thinking? A moral framework?

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This may include a variation on the Wiccan Rede, or some similar concept.

Hell, the Rede isn't a rule or law in itself. confused

This next part actually helped me relax a little until I actually read it:

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A dedication: If you’ve been initiated into a coven, you may want to include a copy of your initiation ceremony here.

Again, ignoring that there are traditions which outline the order of such books...

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However, many Wiccans dedicate themselves to a God or Goddess long before they become part of a coven.

The author doesn't know what the Wica are, and they seem to be using initiation and dedication as synonyms, when they aren't.

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Phases of the moon, herbs, stones and crystals, colors – all have different meanings and purposes.

News to me. This sure isn't the case in my tradition. Someone wants to bring up some rare African flower I have never heard of, it isn't going to have a meaning or purpose in my tradition. Another generalization.

As for the "chart" idea- this can be useful, but for something that is supposed to be a record, it sure as hell seems overly simplistic.

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Sabbat rituals: The Wheel of the Year includes eight holidays for most Wiccans and Pagans, although some traditions do not celebrate all of them.

Or any of them. It isn't as though being Pagan is an actual religion or anything.

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For example, for Samhain you may wish to create a rite that honors your ancestors and celebrates the end of the harvest,

Culture Rape is insulting...

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A Sabbat celebration can be as simple or complex as you wish.

Wasn't aware it was our will, and not those we serve, that sets how complex things are.

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You may also wish to include sections on how to cast a circle and Drawing Down the Moon, a rite that celebrates the invoking of the Goddess at the time of the full moon.

I most certainly will not. Not all traditions use circles and my tradition, as an example, has a direct prohibition against invocation.

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Herbs: Ask any experienced Pagan or Wiccan about a specific herb, and chances are good that they’ll expound on not only the magical uses of the plant but also the healing properties and history of use.

Love the implication of this. If you don't know your herbs, you're not pagan.

To say nothing of the fact it assumes that the magical and medicinal properties aren't integrated.

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Herbalism is often considered the core of spellcasting,

So, all you folks who use Futhark, Ogham, Whispers, Tablets or other such tols, take note- you're leaving out the core of spellcasting.

This is about where I lost interest...

Also- any language that isn't English is apparently archaic. stare

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It helps keep me organized. Which is the whole point of a book of shadows. :}

And here I thought the inception of the concept was to maintain a record of procedures to be passed through an orthopraxic cult. ~shrugs~ Gardner did jack the title from an article of Bashir's after all.  

[TheDisreputableDog]

Wow Tea. You should get paid to MST3K fluffy texts. Although I think my brain would melt if that were my job, so I won't wish it on you.

I have a notebook I use for recording tarot readings, although sometimes I just use the computer instead. Last year I started another notebook for keeping Kemet-related prayers, hymns, poems, songs, and heka. So far most of them are just copied from another book, but I've been adding more of my own material. I have another notebook for keeping random ideas or items I come across that strike me as important for some reason. I keep recipes in yet another notebook which stays in the kitchen.

One of the members of my local pagan group keeps a notebook which contains the text of most of the rituals we've done as a group.  

[TeaDidikai]

TheDisreputableDog

Wow Tea. You should get paid to MST3K fluffy texts.

That wasn't so much MST3King, as much as it was Critical Analysis of the text. That, I could get paid for. MST3King them would be funny as hell though. Part of me wants to find a way to do that to some of these YouTube rants about Paganism.

The notebook I recently bound is being filled with key things from my Baba's journal. It's been a taxing process, the translations. Her fine motor skills were shot to hell by the torture she experienced in the camps. I know she suffered mentally and emotionally as well, and I am beginning to see it was a lot more pervasive than I remembered it being.