So what is a Book of Shadows? It may sound ominous but a Book of Shadows is a Wiccan bible. A Book of Shadows is so called because for so long the heritage and beliefs of witches had to be hidden in the shadows for fear of being persecuted and killed if they were discovered. So many books were destroyed and the scarce few that survived were hidden away and guarded carefully. Up until just recently it was forbidden to share with outsiders what was written in those books for the traditions and knowledge they contain are sacred. In a Book Of Shadows are contained the rituals for celebrating the Wiccan holidays or Sabbats and the rituals of the full moon or Esbats. A Book of Shadows has traditionally been passed down from generation to generation and copied down many times from the first book written by who ever was the first person to start what is called a "coven". A coven is a gathering of witches who are close friends and family members who gather together to celebrate and practice their faith.

Today while there are a few witches who can claim ancestral heritage to the faith most Witches like myself come to Wicca from the outside. Since I began my studies as a solitary I had no heritage to draw on so I had to write my own Book of Shadows. Still parts of my own Book were copied from the writings of Doreen Valiente a follower of the Gardnerian tradition and from the "Witches Bible Complete" written by Stewart and Janet Farrar followers of the Alexandrian Tradition. There are still others who I looked to like the late author Scott Cuningham who put out some marvelous and comprehensive books on the practice of Wicca. Edain Mc Coy and Laurie Cabot are also two wonderful modern authors and witches. One of the most beautiful and sensitively written books I've read on the subject is a called "Of Witches" written by Janet Thompson. She, is a Solitary Pagan and she had many rituals that were designed for the lone Witch. A solitary Pagan or Witch is one who practices the faith outside of a coven.

When I first began my studies on the magical path about fifteen years ago I had no access to information on covens or pagan groups in my area. I was also very wary of joining such groups because in the back of my mind I was concerned about getting tangled up in a group of people who may not have been right for me or even worse, people who may have had ill intentions and therefore would spoil my experience. I will also admit to being the sort of person who dislikes being led or forced to adhere to strict rules or boundaries. I decided it would best for me to start out alone and discover for myself the meaning of my chosen path of spirituality. And so, I initiated myself into the solitary practice of Wicca.

There was a time when I believed I would never want to join a coven. I was learning and growing just fine on my own. But by my thirteenth year of study things seemed empty and lifeless for me. My growth had stopped and I was even thinking of abandoning my path. The Sabbats were the thing that made want to be with other Pagans. The meanings of them were obscure, there was no sense of celebration with community. I felt so terribly lonely and isolated.

Luckily the development of the internet, which was not in existence when I first started my path, provided me with a way of searching for other Pagan groups in my area. I researched for several months before I found a group that I thought I would like to visit. It was a social networking group for Pagans. This seemed non-threatening and best of all non-committal so I decided to check it out. I joined the group 6 months later and I've been there ever since. Through this same organization I met a lot of other Pagans and two years later I finally joined a coven into which I have just been formally initiated a little less than a year after first being introduced to it's members.

For me my initial decision not to join a coven was the right decision and while the journey has been difficult and sometimes confusing I always seemed to be led to learn just what I needed to learn just when I needed to learn it. It may not have always made sense to me until some time later but looking back on what I have been through I realize this has been the case. The God and Goddess do indeed guide their children on the path to being Priests and Priestesses. If you are patient and trusting of them and your own instincts and intuitions they will guide you.

I cannot say that your experience will be the same as mine. Some will feel more comfortable with receiving a lot of instruction when you first start the path and will need the structure of a teaching coven to guide you. There is no fault in that, it does not make you less of a Pagan or a Witch. No one person will follow their path the exact same way. You must do what feels right for you and go along at the pace that is right for you.

I will say that if you start off joining a coven do as much research as possible on every group you consider. Visit in person only those groups that seem right to you. Get a sense of the dynamic and see if you feel like you fit in. If you do not, if there is even one person in the group who makes you feel uncomfortable or threatened then perhaps it would be best not to join them. "Perfect love and perfect trust" is more than just a saying it is truly how you must enter into the fold. If you do not feel like you can trust all of those you stand in circle with then you shouldn't be there.

Make sure your intentions for joining a coven are right. Don't join a coven because you think you have to in order to be considered a "real Pagan" or "real Witch". That is simply not true. Don't join a coven because you think it will make you seem interesting or cool to other people. What you learn and get out of being a Pagan or joining a coven should have nothing to do with bragging to your friends. Most of what you learn will be required to be kept secret and it will not do to go blabbing to others about what you do in circle. Avoid groups who are run by High Priests and High Priestesses who seem to be on huge ego trips. If they are professing that their way to learn is the only way to learn or that you must bow down to them and humiliate yourself before them than head for the door as fast as you can and don't look back. Don't ever let anyone try to tell you or even subtly convince you that they are the end all and be all of knowledge and that you must follow them blindly. Paganism is about freedom of will not domination of others. People who try to profess otherwise are dangerous and should be avoided.

Take your time in choosing, don't rush. Don't feel obligated to stay with a coven if it no longer feels right to you. None of your decisions should be made hastily or under duress or pressure from anyone else. You must be calm and centered and feel right about what you are doing. You may have doubts but trust your instincts even if they don't seem logical at the time. Also, remember that where you start isn't necessarily where you will stay. There can be no growth without change after all and that is the whole point to walking any path.

The Pentacle or five pointed star in the sacred symbol for the Wiccan faith just as the cross is for Christianity or the Star of David for Judaism. The points of the star represent the five elements of fire earth, air, water, and the ether which is the divine source. The circle surrounding the star symbolizes unity and the never ending cycle of life. In the illustration below the Pentacle also includes other symbols. The three moon symbols, 2nd quarter, full and 3rd quarter in the top three points represent the Goddess in her three aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone. The two bottom symbols the one on the left being that of the Horned God Cernunnos and the symbol on the right the Egyptian anhk which symbolizes death. This symbol is sometimes replaced by a skull or a new moon symbol. The images all around the Pentacle represent the Witches' magical tools starting clockwise with the broom or wand for fire, another smaller pentacle for earth, the cauldron for the Goddess, the chalice for water and the atheme or sword for air. The final symbol in the middle section of the star, the circle with eight spokes represents the division on the Wiccan year and the eight Sabbats or Holidays.

So what about these rituals and celebrations? Because our ancestors lived so much more in accordance with the land and the changing of the seasons was so important to them the Pagan Calendar was based on those different seasons of the year. It's not so much different to what we have now but the meanings of the celebrations are different. The Wiccan Calendar is based on the ancient Celtic Wheel of the Year which is divided like this:

The wheel consists of the Greater Sabbats which are Samhain, Imbolg, Beltane and Lughnasadh. The Lesser Sabbats are the Solstices and Equinoxes and are Yule, Ostara, Midsummer and Mabon.

Samhain (pronounced sa-wen) is the Wiccan New Year. It is when the harvest comes to an end and the earth begins her long winter sleep. Leaves turn color and fall from the trees, the remains of the crops are burned or plowed back into the fields to nourish the soil for spring planting. It is a time to reflect on the past year, finish any old business, pay off any debts, let any grievances and ill feelings die. The idea being not to take any of the negativity from the previous year into the coming one so you can start a new. It is also the time for the Feast of the Dead when we honor the memories of those who passed on to the Otherworld. It is also a time to remember that the end of one thing, though it may be sad, leads to a beginning of something new.

Yule Tide is the winter solstice and the longest night of the year. It's significance is that even though everything appears dead and is covered under a blanket of snow or mud depending where you live, we are to observe that new life will come forth in the spring and we look forward to the days of growing light and warmth. The ritual is based around the yule log which in my house is traditionally the stump end of last years Christmas tree. Incidentally Christmas trees really have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. It was a tradition brought to England and Ireland by the Norsemen who in their land would cut boughs of fir trees and other evergreen trees and bring them inside to decorate and brighten their homes and great community halls as a symbol of life amid the death like grip of winter. No doubt the piney fragrance would also serve to chase away the stale smells of so many people being forced to stay indoors out of the bitter cold for so many months. The fir boughs gave way to bringing in whole trees that would later be "decorated" with items that represent wishes for the coming year such as a prosperous harvest, a marriage or children. At solstice the ancient Celts were already having bon fires with the purpose of driving the cold winter away and the beckoning Sun God also known as the Oak King to rise triumphantly and defeat the long dark winter gloom which is the dominion of the Holly King. They once believed that if they did not do this He would be defeated and the sun would never rise again. So when the Norsemen invaded their land and brought their Yule Tide tradition with them the Celts simply adapted it to their own bon fire ritual and thus the Yule log was born.

Imbolg (pronounced em-bowlg) is also known as the Feast of Bridgid. Witches honor the Triple Goddess for it is at this time still during the dead of winter that Earth has renewed her virginity yet even so she bears the seed of the coming Spring within the warmth of her womb. It is customary at the coven ritual for the High Priestess and the other women of the coven to come in dressed in crimson (for the Mother), white (for the Maiden) or black (for the Crone). The high Priestess wears a crown of candles and walks dociel (clockwise) around the circle in quiet procession as music is played. The candles representing the warmth and light of the sun. At this time of the winter is loosing it's frigid grip on the earth and warmer days are drawing near. It is a time for us to say a blessing over and prepare any seeds or bulbs that will be planted in the spring to ensure they will grow and flourish. It is also a time for witches to renew their vows to the craft and to the Goddess and God and also a time to initiate new witches into a coven.

Ostara is also another name for Easter the Pagan Goddess of Spring. Yes that's right the Christian holiday remembering the day Jesus assended to heaven after being crucified still today bears the name of a pagan fertility goddess. Many of the Christian holidays fall on or very near to the old Pagan celebrations mainly because the Pagan people were so unwilling to relinquish their own festivals. Failing to totally wipe out the Pagan traditions the Church simply began to give different Christian meanings to the Pagan ritual days. Why Easter still retained it's name is unknown (at least to me anyway) but I can tell you what the deal is with the colored eggs and the chocolate bunnies. At this time the Goddess transforms from being the Maiden to the Mother once more giving birth to the sun and to all life. The egg is a symbol of new life about to be manifest. The tradition of painting Easter eggs began as a way of manifesting wishes. A single fertile egg was taken from a nest and painted with a representation of a wish one wanted to manifest be it for prosperity, a good harvest, new love, or such. It was then hidden or buried in the ground the idea that the life of the unhatched chick would be transferred to the wish that was painted on the shell. Since then this practice has now been abandoned and transferred to hard boiled eggs which are then eaten. The Easter bunny refers to the March Hare which is also the symbol of the spring time Goddess. For in March the grass is not yet tall enough to conceal the hare's "boxing matches" for a mate. We are witness to their mating ritual and so enhances the fertility aspect of the season. In addition the Goddess is also associated with the moon and so is the hare for while we now see the image of a man's face in the shadows of the moon our ancient ancestors saw the image of running hare.

Beltane (pronounced Bel-ta-na) is for Wiccans the beginning of summer. Winters chill is but a distant memory and the sweet fruits of summer are just becoming ripe for the picking. Life as a whole seems sweeter too. The sun is warm and bright but is not yet too punishingly hot. The grass is still green and not yet turned brown. Flowers are in bloom and color and sweet fragrances are everywhere. It is often a time when couples plan to soon wed and children anxiously await the closing the of school for the summer and high school and college graduates look forward to hopefully bright new futures. Truly it does seem the best of things happen at this time of year even today. This is what Beltane is all about. The earth is coming into her fullness and the promise of bounty is in sight. Traditionally it is a time for building a bon fire and gathering round with friends to share the first bounty of the year. Among Witches too this a time for handfasting, what witches call their weddings. A handfasting traditionally is to last for only a year and a day and then the next year the couple can renew their vows to each other or simply choose let their vows and their marriage expire. However a couple may choose to have their marriage last as long as they wish so long as they both agree as to how long.

Midsummer is the height of the year. The Earth is in her prime, crops are high and the sun shines longest on this day. This time of year is full of folly and mirth, a time where a certain giddiness is felt, an unrest that leads us to thoughts of love and pleasure. It is where the phrase "when a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love" comes from. We all can still feel the effects of the warm weather and the lazy days of summer even today. Stuck inside our office buildings or places of work we long to go outside and just lay on the warm sweet grass or on a sandy beach and loll in the sun. We are beckoned to enjoy the warm days and sweet fruits that come into ripening, to not take life for granted. What prompts us to act this way? Perhaps in our deep recessed instincts we are aware that even though the days are warm and the sun is high, on this day the days begin to get shorter. For as this is the time the Sun God or Oak King reaches his zenith it also marks the time when must relent to the slow rise of the Holly King who is the God of winter. The Oak King begins his retreat into the enchanted realm of the Goddess Arinrod the Goddess of the Silver Wheel. The Silver Wheel refers to the cycle of death and rebirth. There Arinrod rules over his temporary refuge of death where he must wait and learn before being born again at Winter Solstice. So on this day do take sometime to sit and relax, be with ones you love, invite your closets friends over for a summer barbecue and enjoy life. Winter is closer than you think.

Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-na-sa) is the feast of Lugh whose name means "shining one". He is the Irish God of the sun and of agricultural fertility, since his foster mother died from preparing the lands of Ireland for planting. His festival is in Her honor. For it is through Her sacrifice that the people had grain to eat and to sustain their lives. Lughnasadh marks the beginning of the grain harvest and grain being a staple of the diets of nearly all civilizations around the world it is indeed a very important crop. It feeds not only us but the animals we raise for food and for milk. Grain is also very important to the making of beer and ale and while we today we see those beverages as being, shall we say, "recreational" to the people of old Europe it was a means of liquid sustenance. The alcohol content was marginal and calorie content was high. For those who worked in the fields or on the docks or in the blacksmith's shop and were too poor to afford much meat they needed something hardy to see them through the long working day. Beer and bread was their standard midday meal. Today grain is still very important and most likely will continue to be so to the diets of not only humans but all living things. During this time we are urged to give thanks for the bounty of what we have so in a way it is like the Wiccan version of Thanksgiving.

Mabon comes at the autumnal equinox when once again the day and night are at equal length. Mabon is known as "The Divine Son" in Celtic mythology. He is the Son of the Goddess Modron. As the story goes Mabon disappears three nights after being born and his Mother laments his loss. A call is put out to the champions of the land to find the infant. At first the seekers have no clue as to where to start looking, for Mabon's disappearance seems quite mysterious indeed. But Modron tells them that if they are to have any hope of finding her son they will have to go to the five most ancient and wisest animals on earth, the Blackbird, the Stag, the Owl, the Eagle and finally the Salmon and ask each one the question: "Tell me if thou knowest anything of the child Mabon, son of Modron." Each animal has important clues and memories that guide the seekers on their quest and they eventually find Mabon who had been safe all along magically returned into his mother's womb. Modron's womb is a nurturing and magical place filled with many challenges designed to renew Mabon's strength and wisdom so that once again he may be born and rise as his mother's champion and source of all joy and light.

You may find this confusing and maybe even silly. Why would Modron put out a call and a challenge to find her son if she knew all along where he was? Why would she seemingly waste the seekers' time and energy? The answer lies in knowing that her son Mabon is a symbol for the light and the joy of the divine in all of us. She did not send the seekers out on this quest for her benefit but for theirs. For in taking on this quest and seeking the council of the wise and ancient creatures of her forest they learned much about their world and about themselves and learned to look for truth and wisdom in places they never thought to look before. This quest is still put forth to all of us even today. This story reminds us to have respect for creatures of our world for they have wisdom that they can share with us simply by watching them. And also to remember that ultimately the light and joy we seek so desperately can be found at it's source, within us where it's been all along. It is up to us to be brave enough to give birth to it from our own souls.

This archetype the idea of a mother giving birth to a Divine Son and the wise men or seekers going on a long and arduous journey to find him is a common theme among many faiths including Christianity. It's repeated many times over. My hope is that knowing this will one day cause all of us to realize that many of our stories of myths come from a common source or theme and that we will all discover that at the very heart of all faiths we are all seeking the same thing and that instead of being so divided and suspicious of one another we will learn to accept our differences and see our similarities and finally learn to live in peace with each other.

So ends the Wiccan calendar or Book of Days as it is often called but only to begin again. The Silver Wheel is forever turning.

Esbat is what Wiccans call the time of the full moon. Just as Christians go to church every Sunday to gather and worship God, Witches belonging to a coven gather once every 28 days to worship the Goddess. Rather than taking place in a temple or church the gathering usually takes place at the home of the High Priestess of the Coven or sometimes is rotated to the homes of other members of the Coven. Sometimes it even will take place in a wooded area designated by the Coven as a meeting place. The latter is the most preferable, however, is not always the most practical unfortunately due to the fact that very little wilderness areas remain that are private enough for such a gathering.

The ritual usually consists of the members taking part in what is known as the communion of the five senses where the members reaffirm their ties to each other as a community and to the Goddess as her children. Then the round dance within the circle is performed and the whole thing is usually finished off with a late supper. If there is any special thing that needs to be done like a special spell or prayer made on behalf of a coven member who is ill or having some other sort of difficulty then this also dealt with at these times. It's primarily meant as a festive time to celebrate the solidarity among fellow Wiccans. But Solitary Witches celebrate this time also. For a solitary it is more of affirming our connection to the Goddess. One may still take the communion of the five senses and some dance solo around the circle. When I was a solitary, because my sacred space was so small, I often chose to sit in quiet meditation in the center of it until I felt it was the right time to close my circle and end my ritual. When I cannot be with my coven I will still do rituals alone in this way.

If I have any spell work to be done such as making an appeal to the Goddess for prosperity, preforming a healing ritual for a friend or for myself, or performing a tarot card reading to gain insight into coming events or influences in my life then I will do this after the communion of the five senses. I would also use this time to consecrate any new magical tool or item I have such as a piece of jewelry or an incense burner or candle holder.

The concetrating of items is done to set them apart from common things used in the home. This is important because all items used for ritual or magical working need to be recognized as special and therefore more magical. You must agree that a ritual or any special event looses something if regular or common items are used. For example; using the same old mug you drink your morning coffee out of to drink a toast to Goddess and God or serving Twinkies® as the communal cakes surely doesn't do much to promote the sacredness of the event. Anything I concecrate I will then only use for magical purposes. For instance I have a pair of candle holders that I only use on my altar. I would never use them on my dinning table nor would I use them during a power outtage. I have other candle sticks and holders around the house that I use for practicle purposes. If an item gets damaged or simply just wears out like tarot cards tend to do then I will purchase or make a new one to replace the item and concecrate that. I also say a special blessing over any consumable items such as the incense and candles I buy or herbs that I grow and use for spells. I have two spice racks in my house one for the kitchen and one for spells. And NO, I do not have jars marked "eyes of newts" or "wings of bats" in my magical spice rack. No self respecting witch would ever use "incredients" in her spells that came from harming or killing another living thing. HARM NONE remember?! However, a molted feather found on the ground or shedded fur from kitty is fine. I knew someone who kept peacocks as pets and she would use their shedded plummage. Personally I prefer to use herbs or stones. The point is that whatever you use for magic should be kept separate from the things you use everyday.