A grimoire (or book of shadows) is a sort of Wiccan
recipe book that includes spells and incantations, but also much more
A Witch's Grimoire - Create Your
Own Book of Shadows
By Judy Ann Nock
Adams Media/Provenance Press 2005
246 pp., $12.95
Review by Diane Saarinen
 |
|
According
to the web site
www.religioustolerance.org, “the fastest growing religion (in terms
of percentage) is Wicca – a Neopagan religion that is sometimes referred
to as Witchcraft. Numbers of adherents went from 8,000 to 1990 to
134,000 in 2001. Their numbers of adherents are doubling about 30
months.” The author of
A Witch’s Grimoire, Judy Ann Nock, is a Wiccan high priestess
who shares her extensive knowledge and experience in this pagan primer –
a sort of witchcraft 101.
However, we first have the question of “what exactly is a grimoire?”
Nock describes a grimoire (or book of shadows) as “a sort of Wiccan
recipe book that includes spells and incantations, but also much more. A
book of shadows may also contain dreams, poems, invocations,
revelations, inspirations, and lore.” In some ways, it is also a journal
where one can record impressions as they follow the pagan path, a
nature-based religion.
If one is new to the Craft, he or she can use A Witch’s
Grimoire as a workbook – there are plenty of exercises suggested, with
room in the book to write individual answers to the thought-provoking
questions that are presented here. For example, calling the directions
is a basic skill in the Craft. Nock gives plentiful information about
the unique attributes of the east, south, west and north and urges the
reader to acquire experiential knowledge and not just book-knowledge.
More advanced teachings, such as channeling and various meditations, are
also shared in what is evidently a sincere, from-the-heart book in which
Nock clearly wants the reader to grow spirituality as a result of
carrying out the exercises. This text is also jam-packed with new age
knowledge, including touching upon the chakras, magical qualities of
gemstones and crystals, the ritual use of herbs, and even dream
interpretation. For those wanting information on more crafty things like
spellwork and candles, it’s all there as well – a full table of color
correspondences for candlework along with what days of the week are most
conducive to specific needs.
Now back to that “create your own book of shadows” part of the
title…Nock takes that quite literally and gives detailed instructions to
making your own recycled paper and binding your own special book!
However, the author also takes into account that even a three ring
binder purchased at a stationary store will be sufficient as long as the
magical intent is there. Nock also provides various secret alphabets
such as the Faerie Runes for those to help create a more
mystical-appearing book of shadows. And speaking of physical
appearances, Nock’s book itself is just gorgeous – ragged-edged pages
are wedged between an antiqued cover, suggesting this is a tome filled
with ancient knowledge which, in this reviewer’s opinion, is indeed the
case.
