the most important pages every witch should have in their Grimoire
First things first what is a Grimoire? And how is it different from a book of shadows?
A a book of shadows is a personal record of spells and rituals and acts more like a journal. It is a more private record and most witches choose not to share them. A Grimoire on the other hand is a record of information that is meant to be used by a whole coven or passed down through the generations. If you are a solitary practitioner then you can combine the two. It doesn’t really matter how you do it. Only that you do.
‘But what should I put in my Grimoire?’ I hear you ask. Well that depends mostly on you and your practices. But there are a few essential that every witch should have in their Grimoire. And they are…
A book blessing or dedication
The first page of any Grimoire should be a book blessing or dedication. This can be a short poem or a sentence or two. This is done to protect your book from unwanted eyes and energies. It doesn’t have to be fancy. But it does need to convey your intentions.
The history of witchcraft
In every culture and practice it is important to know its history. Particularly if there has been efforts to wipe it from existence. And there have been attempts to do this to witchcraft. There is so much information of the persecution of witches throughout Europe and America, I wouldn’t recommend recording it all. Instead focus on your local area and the history of your particular practice.
Start with what interests you
There is a lot of information out there. Far more than you will realistically need. And far, far more than you will be able to remember. So start with the things you are interested in. And the things that you are drawn to. I stated mine with tarot and daily, weekly, and Luna correspondences.
Start small
A Grimoire is meant to grow with you and your practice. It is something that you will be adding to over time as you learn and grow. The information in it will probably need to be changed and it will get messy.
Correspondences
As you lean about and use different tools. Add the correspondences to your Grimoire. Thing like colour, herbs and crystals. You don’t need to remember everything especially if you keep a record of it.
Rituals and spells
If like me your book of shadows and Grimoire are the same ‘book’ then use it as a place to record the spells and rituals you perform. In detail. Keep a record of the tools you use and the time. (day, date, moon phase.) record the outcome of the spells. This is so you can look back ad see what works for you and what doesn’t. And maybe figure out why.
Your Grimoire is your encyclopedia. Use it and add to it as and when you need to. There is no need to memorise every piece of information out there. Tailor it to your own needs. There are no rules.