Witchvox Article

Author: Cerberus Bindweed
Posted: January 22nd. 2012
Times Viewed: 4,798

Before the book you choose to be your Book of Shadows is ever written in, you should first cleanse and consecrate it. Cleansing also called �purifying�; it removes any past energies that your future Book of Shadows has gathered and absorbed from previous people who handled it, which can be quite negative and have a detrimental effect on your magick.

Consecration, also known as �charging�, imbues your Book of Shadows with your own unique personal energy� as well as the energies of the universe (such as the four elements, personal deities, your own ancestors and so forth) . What this does is �key� the Book of Shadows to your own magickal essence, allowing only yourself and those of your bloodline to be fully able to use the rituals, spells, and magickal knowledge written within its pages without any problems or defects.

Finally, cleansing and consecrating your book strips it of its mundane energies. Once it is consecrated, it becomes your personal prized Book of Shadows, a tome dedicated to magick and spiritual growth.

Traditionally, the cleansing and consecration ritual of your Book of Shadows is the third thing you write in your new Book of Shadows, the first being your title page and the second being your Book of Shadows blessing.

Cleansing Your Book of Shadows:

The best time to cleanse your Book of Shadows in on the night of the New Moon. Place upon your altar a purple cloth, purple being the colour of spirituality, psychic development and magick. At each of the four directions on the altar, you will need some object or symbol to represent each of the four elements � Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

What you use is up to you, but I prefer using a censer with frankincense lit on incense charcoal to represent the element of air in the east, a red beeswax candle to represent the element of fire in the north, a natural seashell bowl (such as a scallop shell) filled with a bit of rain water to represent the element of water in the west and a bowl of rock salt (not sea salt) to represent the element of earth in the north.

You will also need a smudge stick, preferably a blend of sage, lavender and sweet grass, and a pentacle disk which should be placed in the centre of the altar, also a handful of sea salt and pure lavender essential oil. You can add anything else on the altar that you like that is magickal in nature.

Take a cleansing ritual bath by pouring into your bathwater the handful of sea salt and thirteen drops of lavender essential oil. Lie down in the water and relax your mind and body, focusing on the ritual to be conducted. You need to do this for at least five to fifteen minutes before getting out and drying off with a clean towel.

Stand before the altar either sky clad (naked) or in ritual clothing, take a few deep breaths, relax your mind and body, and focus on the here and now and the purpose of this ritual.

Once ready, you may cast a magick circle and call in the four elements in whatever manner you are comfortable with.

Light the smudge stick and hold the Book of Shadows over the centre of the altar, above the pentacle. Using the lit smudge stick, thorough cleanse the book by passing it through the smudge smoke, visualizing that wherever the smoke touched the book, that any and all negativity and past energies are no longer held within the book.

Once you feel the book become lighter, place the book down on the pentacle in the centre of the altar and leave it there for seven days. On each of these seven days, at the exact same time, repeat the smudging process.

During the next two weeks before the full moon, go to your local magickal store or a place that sells incense and pure essential oils. Allow your intuition to choose the incense and essential oil that is right for you and for your consecration ritual. If you don�t have a magickal store in your area or your area does not sell pure essential oils, I would recommend purchasing online a sandalwood essential oil and myrrh incense.

On the night of the Full Moon, take a cleansing ritual bath, scrub yourself with coarse sea salt mixed with a small amount of almond or olive oil. Dry yourself off and work either skyclad or robed.

Place white candles on your altar, and cast a circle in your usual manner. Using some of the salt that represents the element of earth on your altar, create a hollow circle of salt surrounding the Book of Shadows. While doing this say:

�Element of Earth, I call you this hour,
Imbue this tome with your sacred power.
May this Book of Shadows be blessed in your name,
Charge it with the gift of the body.�

Light the red fire candle and move it closer to the Book of Shadows so that the book becomes illuminated by its light and say:

�Element of Fire, I call you this hour,
Imbue this tome with your sacred power.
May this Book of Shadows be blessed in your name,
Charge it with the gift of the heart.�

Light the element of air incense and waft the smoke of the incense around the Book and say:

�Element of Air, I call you this hour,
Imbue this tome with your sacred power.
May this Book of Shadows be blessed in your name,
Charge it with the gift of the mind.�

Sprinkle some of the rainwater around the Book and three drops on the cover and say:

�Element of Water, I call you this hour,
Imbue this tome with your sacred power.
May this Book of Shadows be blessed in your name,
Charge it with the gift of ever changing emotions.�

Light the white candles that are upon the altar, and begin writing your Book of Shadows title page.

Once done, light your specific chosen incense, and waft the smoke of the incense over the spine, front and back covers of the book as well as throughout each page of the book. Once done, anoint the front cover of the Book of Shadows with a pentagram using your chosen essential oil blend, and then anoint your third eye, temples, heart and wrists.

Open up the book and write your magickal name (or birth name if you don�t have a magickal name) , and then prick your finger with a needle to draw blood and stamp a blood thumb print next to your name and say:

�Secrets within your pages will hold,
My life of magick will unfold,
May only my blood read this book,
Safe from stranger, thief and crook,
Book of Shadows in your pages I�ll write,
Consecrate this magick tonight.
So Mote it Be.�

Press the Book of Shadows against your chest and let the thoughts and feelings of your future in working magick, your dreams, ideals, well up within you. Allow all of these things to flow into the pages the Book of Shadows, further making it your own.

Once done, kiss your index and forefinger, touch the cover of the Book and draw a pentagram. Repeat with the back cover and the spine.

The book is now a Book of Shadows and it is yours. You may now begin to write within it.

Blessed Be,

Cerberus Bindweed.

Copyright: Owned and written by Cerberus Bindweed on 6th December 2011

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