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Your Book of Shadows (BOS) is your record of ritual work. At its finest, it should be a history of all your rituals, energy work, circles, spells, and all the magic you have manifested. It should be a journal of all that you have practiced and wrought. In your BOS, you should keep a record of your research and the lore you have discovered. Is there a particular phase and sign of the moon that works especially well for you? Document it here, and you will be building a practice that you can apply to future rituals. This will also be a great help in recording your ritual work and evolving and developing as a ritual designer. All the astrology, herb lore, crystal information, and other knowledge that I share in this book comes from the detailed notes I keep in my own BOS. I have discovered that the new moon in Pisces, for example, is the best moon phase for me to work rituals of change. After documenting this information and performing both new and traditional, time-tested rituals and spells with the new moon in Pisces, I learned from a professional astrologer that it is my natal placement—the moon is in the same phase and sign in which is positioned at the time of my birth. Thus this moon phase and sign accords with my own energy and creates a time when my personal power is at its peak. Through trial, experimentation, and much practice, you will discover secrets of the universe for yourself and record what you learn in your own BOS.

 The Book of Shadows can be a tremendous aid if you use it daily or as often as possible. Whenever you come upon a bit of wisdom regarding the nature of ritual or magical work, write it down. This should also be a book of inspiration, filled with your own thoughts, poetry, and observations. Most importantly, it should be a record of results. If you track the effectiveness of a ritual, you can use this information and newfound wisdom in the future. Your BOS should be a book you turn to again and again. It can be a gorgeous, hand-crafted volume of handmade paper and ribboned bookmarks or a simple three-ring binder. Just make sure it appeals to you so that you will use it often and well.

A “Theological” Short

In Bollywood, films about the gods are known as “theologicals.”

The Gods are rehearsing a play.

As the Old Gods act onstage, the Younger Gods stand backstage as chorus. One of the Younger Gods, though, keeps dashing onstage and interfering with the action.

Finally the Great Mother, who is directing the show, can't stand it anymore.

“Knock it off, Yahweh,” she remonstrates. Her mouth twists wryly. “Younger Gods should be heard, but not seen.”

The Old Gods laugh.

I headed in to March on the great health news I got in February (see previous post) and I am definitely ready to keep up my Monster Powers and my dedication to perfume. One of my most significant magical and religious experiences of early March is not about perfume, though, but about dance. And of course, Thor. And the Gila Monster!

It was the 5th and it was supposed to be raining. My housemate showed me the weather radar and asked why it wasn't raining yet. I went outside to check, and it smelled like rain. Not the petrichor smell, that happens after it starts raining. There's a particular smell to the air when it's full of water. I had already ground coffee and brewed a fresh pot, which often is enough for Thor to appear. I said, "Maybe if I do my Rain Dance it will rain."

At the Astragalomancy Workshop

(Blows horn.)

Sure beats “May I have your attention, please?”, doesn't it?

(Laughter.)

So, welcome to Paganistan. My name is Steven Posch, and this is the workshop on astragalomancy. Long ago, in the dawn of days, the Horned, God of Witches, gave us the bones, and taught us how to read them.

This is a sacred knowledge, and so we'll begin our sacred work today in a sacred way. But first, some demographics.

How many witches here today?

(Voice from crowd:)

By whose definition?

(Laughter.)

Well, by yours, of course!

(Show of hands.)

Well, to all of you, whatever your pagan tribe: welcome, and a thousand times welcome.

So, members of the tribe and guests of the tribe both, let us together take up our sacred work today. Could I have a volunteer? (Show of hands.) Yes, you, thanks.

Robert Cochrane, the Father of the modern Old Craft movement, once said: “There is no true religion without fire.” (Gestures toward lighted candle.) This Fire has burned continuously for nearly 40 years at the Temple of the Moon here in Minneapolis.

You Sing to Your Familiar, Don't You?

Look, look: up in the air!

It's a bunny!

It's a cat!

No...it's Bunnycat!

Bunnycat, Bunnycat,

what a freakish and funny cat.

Everybody's knows that she

is a minor deity. Look out!

Here comes a kitty that's funny;

her butt looks just like a bunny's.

We call her Bunnycat!

Bunnycat! Bunnycat!

I know she looks a bit bizarre,

but with Bunnycat (Bunnycat!),

that's just the way things are....

Bunny: yesterday my life

was filled with pain...

The little Manx kitty, asleep on the hay....

My Bunny lies over the ocean,

my Bunny lies over the sea,

my Bunny lies over the ocean:

please bring back my Bunny to me....

Bunnycat! Bunnycat!

Oh what a freakish and funny cat!

Bunnycat Superstar:

are you as bad as they say you are?

Bunnycat, Bunnycat,

wasn't always a stumpy cat

till that fateful day when she

backed into a guillotine.

Look out! (Rrrrraow!)

Now she's a kitty that's funny,

her butt looks just like a bunny's:

we call her Bunnybutt!

She's the stumpy-tailed Cat of Heaven,

so well-behaved, so well-behaved,

full of stumpiness like the new Moon,

full of stumpiness like the new Moon....

My kitty is a Manx kitty,

one with a stumpy tail.

My kitty is a Manx kitty,

one with a stumpy tail.

She is the cutest kitty of all:

it's not her fault

she comes from St. Paul.

(How heinous!)

To prepare the way for letting new opportunities enter your life or to focus your attention on existing friendships, set up an altar where you can concentrate your energy and clarify your intentions. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some if the following elements to enhance your relationships with others as well with yourself. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be.Your altar can be a low table, the top of a shelf, or even a shelf. First, purify the space with the smoke of a lit sage bundle. This is called “smudging” and is an essential part of witchcraft. You can use wild sage or purchase it in any herb store. Once you have smudged the space, cover your  altar with a  pink-colored scarf or cloth, and place pink and white candles in each of the four corners. (Pink is the color of affection and White represents purity intention) Place rose quartz and calming fluorite stones around a vase of fresh flowers often with poppies, daisies, whatever connotes fun and friendship to you.

 As a centerpiece, place on the altar a photograph of your friends or an image that represents abundance for you in your life.

Heathens were known for high grooming standards, in comparison to other European peoples. They even had a day of the week set aside for ritual bathing, Laugrdagr, which later became Saturday. How much this custom was influenced by Rome and Byzantium is an open question, but the question that intrigues me right now is: what did they use for fragrances? Or did they not use them?

My new fascination with perfumes and my lifelong study of heathen history intersect here. I didn't recall ever seeing any mention of what perfumes the ancient heathens made or wore, either in the Viking Age or before. But I thought that possibly it was because I was not seeking that information when I read about those times.