Book of Shadows

Generally speaking, a term used in Paganism and especially Wicca for a book of magickal and ritual information, somewhat like a ceremonial grimoire. However, the Pagan term has two slightly divergent usages:

1. A book containing the compilation of the liturgy and other information for a particular trad. For example, the Gardnerian Book of Shadows contains the standard rituals, lore, rules, and other data considered crucial to the Gardnerian tradition. Such a book is generally kept hand-written, and copying a mentor’s Book of Shadows is a common part of the student’s or initiate’s learning exercise in such trads.
2. Alternatively, some other people take “Book of Shadows” to mean any individual’s records of hir magickal and/or spiritual activities. This combines the functions of a dream diary, a magickal journal, and a general notebook.

Additionally, on the Internet, the term has come to imply a compendium (or rat’s nest) of information gleaned from various sources (generally copy-pasted, often willy-nilly) as opposed to just one’s own experiences or the records of a single trad.

“BoS”, pronounced “bee-oh-ess”, is a common written and spoken abbreviation for this term.