How to Bless Your BOS

I like to bless my tools before using them. It gives them an aura of sacredness and a feeling like they are special. When I put together my first Book of Shadows as a modern pagan, I wrote a poem to read over the book and bless it. A copy of that poem is still in that book. I was a new pagan back then and was really trying to do everything right and proper. By blessing my ring binder that I covered in fabric and ribbon, I created a sacred book. I still have that ring binder and use it for my Book of Shadows, it still is a sacred book to me.

Blessing your tools is a thing in modern Pagan spirituality. By casting a spell over a mundane binder, you make it something special to you. Many book blessings I have seen in addition to blessing the book and making it holy, also add some form of protection on the book to keep it safe from those who seek to harm a witch and to keep the information inside secret. It is about giving a person a sense of safety.

I think of my Book of Shadows partly as an offering to my deities. Most of the things in my BOS I have written myself. My sacred writings are offerings to my patron deities and my Book of Shadows is where I archive my offerings. Not everyone honors a poetic or creative deity, if you do, blessing your BOS makes it a portable altar to place your creative offerings in. On occasion, I will page through my BOS and read aloud poems as offerings.

Your Book of Shadows is your spiritual and metaphysical history and archive. It contains bits of your spiritual studies that you found important at one time. It is a great place to keep your spells, correspondence charts, favorite sacred poems, witchy tips, rituals you’ve participated in or have written. It is also your journal of things you think and have done metaphysically. Blessing your BOS grants your life record holiness and protection.

There is no best time to bless a Book of Shadows. The best time is when you feel it should be blessed. Some people and traditions will bless the book before anything is written on put into the book, others prefer to wait until the book is complete (whenever that may be), some prefer a certain phase if the moon or holiday. Unless you belong to a tradition that has rules on when you perform your blessing, do it when it feels right to you.

Blessing the book before you add anything into is is probably the most common time to do a blessing. If you have already put something in it, you can still bless it and it will also bless what is already a part of the book. The main reason for blessing your Book of Shadows before you add anything in is to mark the beginning of the book and your time as a witch dedicated enough to their craft to keep a record of it. It is also believed that blessing it now makes it holy from the beginning.

If you prefer a little moon energy when you consecrate your Book of Shadows, I recommend performing your consecration on the first full moon or the first new moon after you begin adding to your book. Both times are good times to make a commitment to adding to your book on a regular basis and for dedicating to the task of building a Book of Shadows. New moons are great for dedicating to a task and the full moon is a perfect time to renew your dedication. Items can be charged under the moon light with Goddess and Moon energy. If you have a favorite phase of the moon, use that phase to make your dedication.

In some rare occasions, people will wait until they fill their book to do a formal dedication on it. This is commonly done when you are building a Book of Shadows within a tradition or in a coven. Sometimes during a workshop, this is done at the end of the workshop as a form of closing for the workshop. If you are the type that needs closure when you finish a project, then waiting until you finish your book or fill the book you are working on may been the motivation you need.

There is no set or right time to bless your Book of Shadows. My best advice is to perform your blessing when it feels that it is the right time for you. Unless you belong to a tradition that has a set way to perform the blessing, how you bless your BOS is up to you. I’m going to tell you about my way to perform this blessing as well as give suggestions to adapt it to your taste. Many how-to witchcraft books and websites have sample rituals on blessing your book. Below is the layout for the blessing of volume II of my Book of Shadows. This is a basic layout, if you wish to use it, you will need to add your own details.

You will need:

· Book of Shadows

· Incense

· Candle of any color

· Bowl with water in it

· Crystal (I prefer quartz or selenite

Step 1: Set up your altar or the area you are going to use to bless your Book of Shadows. Your sacred space or altar should contain your Book of Shadows, a representative from each element (incense, a candle, a bowl of water, and a crystal, for example), and whatever you wish to read as a blessing. You are welcome to add anything else you wish to set the mood. A bit of meditative music is always nice, but not required.

Step 2: Sit or stand comfortably and take a few deep breaths. Allow yourself to relax and be calm. Run your hands over the book and pages just feeling the textures. Page though your book and visualize all the potential things you wish to add to the book. If you wish, smell the pages and the cover. You are familiarizing yourself with your book.

Step 3: Light your candle and incense, if using them.

Step 4: Place your hands on the front cover of the book and visualize a bright white bubble of light surrounding the book. The white bubble is a special shield around your Book of Shadows that you will charge with the task of protecting your BOS from harm and keep it hidden from prying eyes. Repeat the following:

“This is my sacred book,

And mine alone,

Sheild of power, protect this book

Keep it from harm,

Hidden from prying eyes.

Goddess and God, all that is holy,

Allow only I and those I allow

To know this Book of Shadows’ secrets.”

Step 5: With the incense in one hand, turn the pages of your Book of Shadows and allow the incense smoke to waft over the pages. As you do this, visualize the smoke giving the pages and cover a vibrant, warm yellow glow. Please note: if you are sensitive to smoke or incense or live in a situation where you can’t burn incense, then brush the cover and pages with a feather. Repeat the following:

“Element of Air, Bless this holy book,

Be cleansed of all other energies except mine

Air of Inspiration and beginnings,

Bless my Book of Shadows.

Allow the words and ideas I write within,

To inspire and enlighten me.

Keep this a safe place as I

Record my magical journey within.”

Step 6: With the candle in hand hold it in front of or over your Book of Shadows. Be careful to keep it far enough away that the light can touch the book, but the flame and wax do not. Visualize the light from the candle surrounding the white bubble and add a mesh of red over that white protective bubble. Please note: if you live in a situation where you can’t have candles, electric candles work or any red crystal will be ok. Holding your candle, repeat the following:

“Element of Fire, Bless this, my Holy Book,

Protect it from all energies, but mine.

Fire of Motivation and Protections,

Reveal only to me, this book’s wisdom.

May prying eyes, see only harmless scribbles,

Where I see the knowledge within.

Sacred Fire, Provider of motivation,

Keep me motivated to continue keeping this Book.”

Step 7: Dip your fingers into your bowl of water and allow them to drip until no more water drips off your fingers. Gently touch your damp fingers to the binding and trace a pentacle or a sigil of your choice onto the cover. Visualize the book glowing bright blue as the color is absorbed into the book. For the water, you can use any water from this planet (moon blessed water, spring water, rain water, ocean water, or even just tap water.) Repeat the following:

“Element of Water, Bless this my Holy Book.

Wash away all negativity and prying minds.

Allow only wisdom and knowledge

to reside within these sacred pages,

Water of Life and the Moon’s Tides,

Share with me the joys of the ever-changing year

And the secrets of the wise.

Allow my pen’s ink to flow like the rivers.”

Step 8: Place your chosen crystal or rock on the cover of your book and visualize the rock glowing green and that green flowing over your Book of Shadows and down into the Earth below. Repeat the following:

“Element of Earth, Guardian of my only home,

Allow the energy from your core,

To power the magics protecting this book.

Earth, element of history’s secrets and the fertile mind,

Keep the knowledge within and the writer of said writings

Grounded and always growing their wisdom.

Allow me to grow through the

Writings I keep in this Book of Shadows.”

Step 9: Hold your hands over your Book of Shadows with your palms down toward the book. Repeat the following:

“Universe and Gods,

Bless my Book of Shadows.

Keep it safe and from prying eyes.

Through it’s growth, so shall I grow.

Blessed be my Book of Shadows.

So mote it be! This book is sacred and blessed.”

Step 10: Clean up your area and keep your Book of Shadows in a safe place.