BOS, now what?

Great, you now have a beautiful leather bound journal that you intend to use as your Book of Shadows.  You don’t want to write the wrong stuff in it, but how do you start?  Well, your first Book of Shadows will be a documented journey into the path that you have not yet revealed to yourself.  It will be the most personal item in all your Witchcraft supplies, and it will be the most important and highly guarded.

No two Book of Shadows are alike, there are no right and wrong things to document inside them, but I can give you some ideas on your new journey.  
As you write, you will grow and you will learn.  This is simply a documented path that will prove useful to reflect upon as you wish to experience where your path has taken you. 

Some of the basic things you could document in your new book.

• Your name.  For example my name is Alice, my name is also MydnytBlu.  Both are in my book as this is who I am.
• Your tradition and beliefs. Set your rules and guidelines.  Whether it be the Wiccan Rede or something similar.  What are the acceptable rules of magic to you.  This will serve as a reminder as to what is acceptable and what is not.  For example, Wiccans adhere to the Threefold Law and the Wiccan Rede equally.  The most important part of the Wiccan Rede is "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.”  The Threefold Law states that anything you do will come back to you threefold.
• Your Deities are a personal choice.  I am a solitary practitioner and I have my own freedom to chose which god or goddess I believe, connect with, or call upon in my rituals.  This is the area where you will describe your deity, the pantheon they belong to and simply what they mean to you.
• Spells – since this is your first BOS, you will document spells and rituals you use.  Which materials you use, your intention, plans for future work.
• Sabbat Rituals are very important.  Document what they mean to you and what rituals you intend to practice on each Sabbat.  Draw or write how you change your altar for each Sabbat and why.  For example, there are eight holidays of the Wiccan year, and they are documented on the Wheel of the Year.  These holidays are occasions for practitioners to join together to celebrate with rituals during these holidays.  For solitary practitioners, these days are just as important to perform their rituals as the energy world wide on these days is joined and very powerful.

• Imbolc	February 1
  Ostara / Spring Equinox	March 21
  Beltane	May 1
  Litha / Summer Solstice	June 21
  Lammas	August 1
  Mabon / Autumn Equinox	September 21
  Samhain	October 31
  Yule / Winter Solstice	December 21

• A listing of all of the Pagan Holidays is below.  If there are any others of which you are aware, please feel free to add them in the comments.
• Charts – you should have a section in your BOS for your correspondence charts.  Examples would be crystal charts, herbal chart, candle color chart and more.  This will be used as reference material.  By keeping everything you need in one space, it will make your life easier to manage.
• Experiences - Some of the most important things to record in your BOS are your experiences, thoughts and reflections.  This is a spiritual journey and should be documented.  No other will have the same journey, experiences, feelings or outcomes as you, document them, they will help your growth and acceptance. 

This is a very personal book and no one should have access to it but you. Everything on your altar can be replaced, upgraded or changed out, but your BOS will be your one and only.  When you have finished your BOS, you will begin another, however, it is just an extension of the first.  They will all be your Book of Shadows, just a new volume and you will reference older versions frequently.  It might be a good idea to transfer the frequently used items from a filled BOS to the new volume.

I wish you peace and acceptance on your new journey.

Click here for more Book of Shadows
Click here for Journaling Accessories

A-Z Listing of Pagan Holidays

A Day Out of Time – July 25
A-ma Festival – April 9
Advent – dates vary
Advent of Isis – January 2
Agathos Daimon – 2nd day after the new moon
Agonalia – January 9
Agonium
Alasitas – Festival of Ekeko – January 24 (also in Sept)
All Saints Day – November 1
All Souls Day – November 2
Ambarvalia – May 29
Andrzejki – November 30
Anastenaria – May 21 – 23
Anestheria – March 4
Anthesteria – February 11 thru 13
Angeronalia
Aphrodesia – February 6
Apple Gifting Day – January 1
April Fools Day – April 1
Armilustrium
Artemis Soteria
Asalha Puja Day – July 9
Ascent of the Christ of the Gypsies
Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15
Autumn Equinox – September 21, 22 or 23

Baba Yaga’s Feast Day – November full moon
Bacchanalia – March 16 – 17
Bald Eagle Day – June 20
Barley Moon – September full moon
Bastille Day – July 14
Bawming Day – 3rd Saturday in June
Bear Wakes Up – February 2
Beltane – April 30 – May 1
Bendideia of Bendis – June 6 or full moon before or closest to the solstice
Big Winter Moon – December full moon
Bill of Rights Day – December 15
Blessing of the Boats – August 12
Blessing of the Sea – 1st Sunday in August
Blessing of the Waters – late January or May 21 – 23
Blood Moon – October full moon
Bodhi Day – 8th day of the 12th lunar month
Bona Dea – Spring Festival – May 1
Bona Dea – Winter – December 4
Bonfire Night – various dates
Bonfires of St John – June 24
Boryeong Mud Festival – dates vary
Borrowing Days – March 29 – 31
Boxing Day – December 26
Bringing In The Boar – December 30
Brumalia – November 24 – December 24
Buck Moon – July full moon
Burning the Hom Strom – first Sat in February
Burns Night – January 25

Canada Day – July 1
Candlemas – February 2
Carista
Carmentalia
Cat Nights – August 17
Celebration of the Tao – May 25
Celtic Faery Day
Chakri Day – April 6
Charming of the Plow – Feb 2
Chhau Festival
Childermass – December 28
Chinese Moon Festival – full moon nearest the autumnal equinox
Chinese New Year – Dates vary
Ching Ming
Christ the King – last Sunday in October (alternative dates November 20 thru November 26)
Christmas Day – December 25
Chrysanthemum Day – September 9
Cinco de Mayo – May 5
Cold Food Festival – April 4 – 6
Cold Sophie – May 15
Compitalia – January 12
Constitution Day – September 17
Corn Moon – October full moon
Creation Day – 1st Sunday in March
Crossroads Day – October 22
Crow Moon – March full moon

Daeboreum – first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar
Daedala – March 10 (approx)
Daisy Day – January 28
Dakini Day – 25th day of each lunar month
Damballa’s Day – March 17
Dasara – September 30
Day of Aganyu
Day of Artisans – March 23
Day of Bad Omens – July 18, October 6
Day of Bau
Day of Blood – March 24
Day of the Covenant – dates vary
Day of the Dead – November 1st
Day of Hecate – August 13
Day of Hel – July 10
Day of the Ovens
Day of Rauni – July 15
Day of Remembrance – May 9, 11, 13
Day of Selene
Day of Unn – July 9
Day of the Wren – December 26
Death of Tammuz – December 21
Delphinia
Depina Hekates – November 16
Diasia
Disablot
Disfest
Distaff Day – January 7
Disting – February 2
Divalia
Dog Days of Summer – July 3 – August 11
Dōngzhì Festival – Winter Solstice
Double Ninth Day – Sept 9
Durdevan – May 6
Dyngus Day – Easter Monday
Dyzymas Day – December 28

Earth Day – April 21 or Vernal Equinox
Easter Sunday – dates vary
Egg Rolling Day
Einherjar Day – same as Memorial Day
Elder Tree Month
Emancipation Day – June 19
Epiphany – January 6
Eponalia
Epulum Jovis
Eve of St Agnes – January 22
Evergreen Day – January 4
Everyman’s Birthday – 7th day of the Chinese New Year
Expulsion of the Demons of Bad Luck – March 29

Fall Equinox – Sept 21, 22, or 23
Fast of Thoth – September 19
Fast in Honor of Holy Mother of Jesus – August 1
Faunalia – December 5
Februalia – January 30 – February 2
Feast of Aphrodite – February 6
Feast of Baba Yaga – November full moon
Feast of Baron Samedi – November 2
Feast of the Charites – dates vary widely  – January 30 – 31,  January 17 – 18, April 18 – 19, May 26, July 9 – 10, or October 13.
Feast of the Dews – June 24
Feast of the Divine Life – September 21
Feast of the Einherjar – weekend nearest November 1
Feast of Expectant Mothers – July 2
Feast of Fools – December 29
Feast of the Holy Innocents – December 28
Feast day of Illmatar – August 26
Feast of Kuan Yin – July 19
Feast of the Lemures – May 9, 11, and 13
Feast of Mary Magdalene – July 22
Feast of the Old Roman Goddess Befana – January 5
Feast of Our Lady of Carmel – July 16
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12
Feast of the Queen of Heaven – May 30
Feast of St Agnes – January 22
Feast of St Anne – July 26
Feast of St Bernadette – April 16
Feast of St John – June 24
Feast of Ullr – November 27
Feriae Marti– March 1
Feriae Sementivae – January 24
Feralia – February 21
Festival for The Pales – April 21, July 7
Festival of Amaterasu – July 17
Festival of Bast – April 15
Festival of Bellona – June 3
Festival for the Broken Needles – February 8
Festival of Carna – June 1
Festival of Cats – dates vary
Festival of Consus – August 21 and December 15
Festival of Cerridwen – July 3
Festival of Ekeko – Anasitas – January 24 (also in September)
Festival of Fata – June 24
Festival of Feronia – November 13 or 15
Festival of the Handmaidens – July 7
Festival of Holy Marys – May 24
Festival of Juno – June 1 – 2
Festival of Knut the Reaper – July 10
Festival of Kore – January 5 or 6
Festival of Lares Compitales – January 5
Festival of Lugh – August 1
Festival of Mater Matuta – June 11
Festival of Mens – May 8 – see also, Quinquatria
Festival of Navigation – March 5
Festival of Odin – November 12
Festival of Poseidon – December 1
Festival of Saint Agatha – February 3 thru 5
Festival of Salii – March 21 – 23
Festival of Salus – March 30
Festival of Sol Indigis – August 9
Festival of Terminus – February 23
Festival of Thoth – August 6
Festival of the Tooth – Full moon in August and the week before
Festival of Torches – August 15
Fête of the Little Boats – April 6
First Footing – December 31 – January 1
Five Epagomenal Days – July 27 – 31
Flag Day – June 14
Flight of the King
Floralia – April 28 – May 1
Flores de Mayo – May 1 – 31
Fordicia – Festival of Tellus – April 15
Forgiveness Sunday – dates vary
Fornacalia – February 5 – February 17
Fox Wedding Festival – November 3
Freyfaxi – August 23
Friday the 13th – dates vary
Frigga Blot
Furinalia – July 25
Furukawa Matsuri
Furry Dance – May 8 (dates may vary)

Ganesh Chaturthi – dates vary
Gantan-sai – January 1
Genna – January 7
Geranium Day – dates vary
Ghede – N0v 2
Ghost Festival – dates vary
Ghost Month – dates vary
Gold Rush Day
Good Friday – dates vary
Good Luck Day – January 17
Great Fifteenth – 1st full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar
Groundhog Day – February 2
Guy Fawkes Day – November 5

Halcyon Days – December 14 – 28
Halloween – October 31
Haloa – January 8 – 9th
Hana-Matsuri – April 8
Handsel Monday – first Monday in January
Hanukkah – dates vary
Hare’s Moon – May full moon
Harvest Moon – Full moon nearest Autumn Equinox
Hawthorn Moon
Hazel Moon
Hekate Supper – when the first sliver of the new moon is visible; (alternatively) on the night before the dark moon
Hemis Festival – dates vary
Herb Harvesting Day – June 29
Herbal Holy Day – August 15
Hercules’s Day
Hero’s Day
Hidrellez – May 6
Hilaria – Day after the Vernal Equinox
Hogmanay – December 31
Hola Mohalla – dates vary
Holi – during the full moon in the Hindu month of Phagan
Holly Moon
Holy Wednesday
Holy Wells Day – March 2
Honey Moon – June full moon
Hong Kong Well Wishing Festival – Dates vary
Honor Your Guardian Angel Day – October 2
Honoring The Thunder God – July 29
Humane Day – 1st Sunday in May
Hunter’s Moon – October full moon
Hygeia’s Day – February 26

Icemen Days – May 11 – 13
Ides of March – March 15
Imbolc – February 2
Independence Day – July 4
Insect Hearing Festival – May 28
International Day of Peace – September 21
Inti Raymi, Peruvian Festival of the Sun – June 24
Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony –  When the first new moon arrives while both the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellations are visible

Kakava Spring Festival – May 5 – 6
Kalends of January – January 1 – 3
Kalevala Day – February 28
Kallyntaria – May 19 – 28
King Frost Day – February 4
King Kamehameha Day – June 11
Kitchen God Festival – approx. a week before the Chinese New Year
Kite Flying Day
Krishna Janmashtami – August 15

Labor Day – First Monday in Sept
Lady Godiva Day – July 10
Lady Luck Day – April 5
Là Fhèill Brìghde – February 1
La Mas Ubhal – November 1
Lammas – August 1
Larentalia
Lazarus Saturday
Lemuria – May 9, 11, and 13
Liberalia
Li Chun – Eve of Chinese New Year:
Litha  –  June 20 – 22
Loki’s Day
Long Nights Moon – dates vary
Lucaria – July 19
Ludi Cereales
Ludi Piscatari – June 17
Ludi Plebeii – November 4 – 17
Ludi Romani – September 4
Lughnasadh – August 1
Lunantishees Day – November 11
Lunar Eclipse – dates vary
Lupercalia – February 15

Mabon – September 21, 22, or 23
Mahayana New Year – Starts on the first full moon day in January
Maidens Fair on Hen Mountain – July 17
Mardi Gras –  Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Marduk’s Feast Day – March 12
Martes y Trece – Tuesday the 13th
Martinmas – November 11
Maslenitsa – dates vary
Matronalia – March 1
Mauni Amavasya – new moon in the Hindu month of ‘Magha’
Mawlid an Nabi – dates vary
May Day Eve
Méan Earraigh – dates vary
Meditrinalia
Megalesia – April 4 – April 10
Memorial Day – last Monday in May
Mice Wedding Day – October 27 or November 8
Michaelmas – September 29
Midsummer – on or near the Summer Solstice
Midwives Day – January 8
Minervalia
Moon Day – July 20
Mother March – March 1
Mother Night – December 27
Mothers of Arles – May 24 – 28
Mothering Sunday – dates vary
Mourning Moon – November full moon
Mundus – August 24
Music Day – March 21

Naadam Festival – July 11 – 13
National Tartan Day – April 6
Nativity of Blessed Mary – September 21
Nativity Fast – November 15 thru December 24
Navaratri – September 21 – 29
Navigium Isidis – March 5
Nemesia – August 23
Nemoralia – August 13
Neptunalia – July 23
Never Again Day – June 19
New Moon – dates vary
New Year’s Eve – December 31
New Year’s Day – January 1
New Year of the Trees – 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat
Night of Hekate Suppers – Last night of the waning moon
Night of the Crossroads – November 16
Night of a Teardrop – June 16
Noah Webster’s Birthday – October 16
Nones of the Wild Fig
Nonae Caprotinae
Noumenia – Day after the new moon
Nunavut Day – July 9

Oak Moon
O-Bon Festival – August 13 – 15, or July 13 – 15
Opalia – August 10
Opiconsivia – August 25
Ostara – Vernal Equinox

Palm Sunday – dates vary
Pamona’s Day
Pancake Day – Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Parentalis
Parilia – April 21, July 7
Passover Begins
Patriot Day – September 11
Peppercorn Ceremony
Pharmakos – June 3
Pioneer Day – July 24
Plant A Turnip Seed Today – July 25
Plough Monday – First Monday after January 6
Plowing Day – March 26
Plynteria – May 19 – 28
Pomona’s Day – August 13 or November 1
Popcorn Day – January 19
Poplifugia – July 5
Portunalia – August 17
Poseidonia of Aegina – A Midwinter Festival lasting as long as 2 months
Powamu Festival – Late January or early February
Purification Feast – March 13

Quickening Moon –  February full moon
Quinquatria – March 19 – 23

Raksha Bandhan – August 7
Raud the Strong’s Day – January 9
Red Carnation Day – January 29
Reindeer Race – Dates vary
Regifugium
Ritual for Mother Cotton – dates vary
Robigalia – April 25
Rose of the World Day – July 3
Rosalia – May 10 and 31
Rosh Hashanah – September 21 – 22
Rousalii
Rumilia Festival – July 7
Rural Dionysia – November 28
Russian Butter Festival – dates vary
Russian Christmas – January 7

Samhain – November 1
Sami Week (Norway) – Dates vary
Samjinnal – March 30
Sânziene – June 24
Saturnalia – December 17
See A Real Fox Wedding – 10th day of the 10th lunar month
Sementivae (Second festival of Tellus) – December 13
Septimontium
Setsubun – February 3 or 4
Sham el-Nessim – April 17
Shichi Fukujin – Seven Deities of Luck – January 1
Sign of the Oak Tree – March 21
Smell the Breeze Day – March 27
Snake Saturday – Saturday before St Patrick’s Day
Snake Sunday – Sunday before St Patrick’s Day
Snow Day – January 3
Snow Moon – November full moon
Solar Eclipse – dates vary
Songkran – April 13 thru 16
St Agatha’s Day – February 5
St Andrew’s Day – November 30
St Anne’s Eve – July 23
St Benedict Day – July 11
St Dustan’s Day – May 19
St Dwynwen’s Day – January 25
St George’s Day – April 23 or May 6
St James the Great Day – July 25
St Knut’s Day – January 13
St Lawrence Day – August 10
St Nicholas Day – December 6
St Paul’s Day – January 25
St Stephen’s Day – December 26
St. Swithin’s Day – July 15
St Vitus Day – June 15 or 28
St Vladimir the Great Day – July 15
Stikklestad Day – July 29
Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony – December 31
Storm Moon  – March full Moon
Stir Up Sunday – last Sunday before Advent
Summer Finding
Summer Solstice –  June 20 – 22

Tako-Age
Tanabata – July 7
Tea and Tephi Day
Thanksgiving Day – last Thurs in November
Thargalia
Thorrablot (Þorrablót) – the Friday after January 19
Three Kings Day – January 6
Timkat – January 19
Tish’a B’av – August 1
Tubilustrium – March 23, May 23
Tomb Sweeping Day – April 4 or 5
Transfiguration Sunday –  the final Sunday following Epiphany, and before Lent
Trinity Sunday – dates vary
Tu B’shvat – New Year for Trees – 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat
Twelfth Night – January 5

Unicorn Day – April 9
Up Helly Aa – last Tuesday in January
Uruz

Valentine’s Day – February 14
Vat Purnima – dates vary
Veneralia – April 1
Vernal Equinox
Vertumnalia – August 13
Veteran’s Day – November 11
Victoria Day – the Monday preceding May 25
Vidar’s Day – June 14
Vidovdan – June 28
Vinalia Rustica – August 19
Visakha Puja – dates vary
Volcanalia – August 23
Volturnalia – August 27

Walpurgisnacht – April 30
Waqf al Arafa – August 31
Whale Festival
Wind Moon – April full moon
Winter Finding – Sept 21
Winter Nights
Winter Solstice – December 21 or 22
Wipe The Slate Clean Day – August 1
Wolf Moon – January Full Moon
Women’s Equality Day – August 26
World Environment Day – June 5
World Religions Day – 3rd Sunday in January

Yom Kippur – September 30
Yule

Zeus’ Day – June 12