Grimoire Prompts: Creating a Book of Shadows
Daily Magick Practice
- Monday (Divination): Do a simple divination of "what do I need to know about the coming week?" or "where should I focus my energies this week?" using whatever form of divination you wish to increase your skill in.
- Tuesday (Protection): Cast a basic protection bubble shield and hold it for a set duration of time.
- Wednesday (Communication): Perform a verbal or nonverbal spell to strengthen your communication skills.
- Thursday (Luck): Create or charge a good luck charm.
- Friday (Love and Relationships): Perform a cord magic spell for improved relationships.
- Saturday (Cleansing): Perform a cleansing bath.
- Sunday (Health): Perform a kitchen magic spell for improved or maintained health.
Divination Prompts
- Design a tarot spread to solve a unique problem in your life at this time.
- Choose a card from the Major Arcana. Draw your own version of it.
- Draw out the symbols in a standard set of runes. Did you know their original meanings are unknown? Assign your own meanings to each one.
- Design your own dowsing mat and start using it.
Gaining Knowledge
- Identify a place in your area of local folkloric experience. Visit this place and record the myths associated with it in your own words.
- Research a goddess or god from a pantheon with which you are not familiar. Record your notes for later reference.
- Try palm-reading. Trace out your hand, then fill it in with your unique line patterns and research their meanings.
- Interview the eldest member of your family. Ask them about your oldest family traditions and brainstorm ways you might incorporate them into your current practice.
On Being Witchy
- Write down information about plants that grow in your area.
- Print out or draw your birth chart, and write out astrological information about your placements.
- Create a correspondence chart for your crystals and/or herbs.
- Do a tarot reading, then write down your feelings about it and what you learned.
- Write down witchy recipes or herbal tea blends you want to try.
- Write about your intentions during the New Moon and what you're letting go of during the Full Moon.
- Have you experienced any signs recently? Write about them.
- Create a list of items you would put in an energy jar to bring love, peace and happiness to you. Now create it and display it where you will see it every day.
- Write a list of your favorite rituals and meditations and include when you use them.
- Write summaries of the books you have read regarding witchcraft.
- List what's on your altar. Is it hidden in plain sight with basic items that have meaning to you but represent your witchy self? Or is it front and center for the world to see? If you don't have an altar, find ideas online and write about the one that you feel best suits you.
- Create a sigil for a specific intention, e.g. abundance or protection.
- Create pages for each of the elements.
- Write about your ancestors and how you honor them.
- Write about folklore and local legends.
- Do you worship or work with deities? If so, write about them.
- Look up the different types of witches (Kitchen Grey, Cosmic, etc.) and write about down the parts of each that you use in your craft. Are you one type of witch, or do you pull from a few? Which ones?
- Write out your manifestation or create a mini vision board in your journal.
- If you've had any unusual or significant dreams recently, write about them.
- Do you have a familiar? If so, write about it. If not, share about the kind of familiar you think you would want/have and why.
Spells and Magic
- Write your own spell for the coming full moon.
- List the moon phases and come up with your own correspondences and associations.
- Pick 5 components for a love spell (roses, strawberries, pink ribbons). then come up with creative ways to use them in a spell.
- Go through your collection of gemstones. Take a moment to hold each one, then record your thoughts and impressions.
- Dream up your ideal sacred space. What would it look like? Is it indoors or outdoors? What statuary, wall colors and fabric would you use?
- Design a protection spell for your animal familiar.
- Think of an emotional imbalance in your life and come up with a healing spell to help.
Tarot Shadow Work
- Fool: Where in your life are you learning something new? What new beginnings are you venturing into?
- Magician: Where in life are you an expert? What do you know so well that you could teach it to others?
- High Priestess: What is your inner voice saying to you right now?
- Empress: What positive influences do you currently have in your life?
- Emperor: What do you need to bring more structure and stability into your life?
- Hierophant: What teacher have you had that made the most impact on your life?
- Lovers: What do you need to do to make the most of your relationship? What areas do you see it failing? What areas do you see it thriving?
- Chariot: What will help you find the motivation you need to reach your goals?
- Strength: What is something that you didn't think you could do that you not only did but did it well?
- Hermit: What would help you to be more mindful and self-aware in your life?
- Wheel of Fortune: What aha moment in your life helped you get to where you are right now?
- Justice: Has karma ever bitten you in the ass? What did you learn from it?
- Hanged Man: What do you need to sacrifice to help you get out of the rut you may be in at this moment?
- Death: What do you need to release so that you can move ahead?
- Temperance: How can you restore balance in your life?
- Devil: What can you do to overcome your fears?
- Tower: What is the deeper reason for the sudden turn of events in your life?
- Star: What was the biggest thing you ever wished for that came true? How long did it take?
- Moon: What obstacles do you need to be emotionally prepared for?
- Sun: How can you bring more joy to your life?
- Judgement: What is your life's passion? What would make your life more worth living?
- The World: What is the biggest obstacle you've had in life that you've overcome?
- Wands: Fred in Miracle on 34th Street is quoted as saying, "Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to." What was the last thing you had faith in when common sense told you that you shouldn't?
- Cups: The perfect relationship is one where you and your partner can be all things for each other. That seldom happens in the real world but when it does, it's a connection worth fighting for. If you could describe your perfect relationship, what would it be like?
- Swords: When was the last time you fought for someone or something just because it was the right thing to do? What have you gained from the experience? What, if anything, did it cost you?
- Pentacles: Are you working your dream job? If so, describe the work it took to get you there. If not, and if given the chance, would you pursue that career now? What would you need to do to get there?
For the Kitchen Witch
- Pick a seasonal recipe to cook for every holiday on the Wheel of the Year.
- Choose a cookie recipe, then break the ingredients down into their magical meanings. What kind of spell would this recipe work best for? Healing, love, workplace harmony?
- Design a recipe spell around an edible herb you know well.
- Design a kitchen altar.
- Pick a spell intention (psychic awareness, luck, money, etc.) and then list every ingredient you can think of that might support that intention.
- Pick an ingredient and list every potential magical use for it that you can think of.
- Design a recipe spell using only ingredients you already have.
- List your favorite kitchen tools and think of ways to use them magically. Does your wooden spoon remind you of a wand? Can you use your cast iron pot as a cauldron? What other ways might you use your kitchen tools creatively in spell work?
For the Magical Herbalist
- If you had to survive an entire year in the wilderness, what 10 herbs would you bring with you?
- Learn 5 herbs you can find in your region. Draw them, then write down where you are likely to find them (in the shade, on the north side of the hill, etc.) and what they can be used for.
- List the Sabbats and name one herb that is in season for each one.
- Pick your favorite herbal home remedy and customize it for your needs and region.
- Learn a new recipe for a homemade herbal bath product and write it down with notations and tips you discovered during the process of making it.
- Make a collage of flowers and herbs you want to try growing from clippings out of an old gardening magazine.
- Draw a diagram of your dream garden. Pretend that money and time are no object.
- Write a list of herbs to calm anxiety and stress.
Full Moon Prompts
- Record information about the energy of the full moon.
- Start a Lunar Grimoire to keep track of your full moon rituals.
- Record information about the astrological sign that the moon is currently in.
- Research moon goddesses such as Selene, Diana and Hecate and write down information about how they are worshiped.
- Profile crystals and herbs associated with the moon, such as selenite and jasmine.
- What do you want to celebrate at this full moon? How have you grown and what have you achieved in the last lunar cycle?
- The full moon is associated with the mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Research the mother and goddesses associated with her and record what resonates with you.
- Write down all of the tools you like to use in moon rituals, including your favorite candles, tarot decks, teas and oil blends.
- Look up your own moon sign, as well as any planets or asteroids in your natal chart that are in the sign of Cancer, (the sign of the moon), and record what you find.
- What do you want to release from the past lunar cycle?
Wheel of the Year
- Diagram the Wheel of the Year. Include charming illustrations or assign a color to each Sabbat.
- On the next Sabbat, make a note of the flowers, herbs and other natural items in season during that time in your region so you know what to expect next year. Use this knowledge as reference for planning future Sabbat ritual ideas.
- Make a bucket list for the next upcoming Sabbat. For example, Ostara might include decorating eggs, planting spring flower bulbs or giving away gift baskets to friends.
- Plan a party for the next Sabbat. Decide on a theme, table settings, music and a guest list.
- Diagram your next seasonal altar. Include flower ideas, symbols, gemstones, and directional correspondences.
Witch Crafting
- Design and draw out your ultimate ritual robe. Pretend money and time are no object.
- Experiment with different herbal blends and come up with a recipe for ritual incense. Record it in detail, including weights and measurements.
- Pick a crafting skill you know well (knitting, sewing, pottery, etc.) then think of some ways you might apply your talent to witchcraft.
- Design an altar tile for your sacred space. Draw it out in detail, including symbols, colors and materials you want to use.
Witchy Leisure
- Make a list of witchcraft related books you plan to read.
- Write a fable about magic gone wrong. What is the moral of the story?
- Brainstorm some pagan-related travel ideas.
- Diagram the human body, labeling it with commonly used pressure points. Then design a ritual around sacred massage.
- Take a nature walk. Identify 5 items in nature and describe how you might use them in your next ritual.
- Wake up early one morning and record the last dream you remember. What hidden messages do you see?
Beginner Witch Subjects to Indulge In
- The history of witchcraft
- Types of witches
- Types of magic
- Types of spells
- Types of divination
- Talismans vs Sigils
- Seals
- Symbols
- Deities (For pagan witches)
- Spirits
- Closed/Open Religions
- Lucid dreaming
- Astral Projection
- The elements
- Grounding
- Herbs & crystals
- Altars
- Moon phases
- Energy
- Protection spells
Start a Herbal Grimoire
Using your apothecary of herbs, herbs that you use regularly, or herbs that hold interest and meaning for you, create a herbal grimoire which includes the following key information for each herb:
- Common name
- Latin name
- Parts used
- Primary function
- Other benefits
- Dosage
- Precautions