Within many magical traditions exist the concept of a "Book of Shadows", a "Grimore", or a "Spell Book". The differences between these three terms is very slight - for a novice it is not necessary to understand the difference.
Essentially a "Book of Shadows" is a book which records magical theory, spells, and rituals for the use of the person writing the book. As should be very obvious, a book of shadows is guarded jealously by it's creator.
The existence of a "Book of Shadows" can be a very effective indication of how advanced a practitioner of magic is. Individuals who simple have nothing like it, or who are to free with the contents of their Book, are generally novices. In the past few years extracts from many books have become available to the general public: one such available Book may be found at
http://www.branwenscauldron.com/Shadows.html . This site is dedicated to becoming a library of ideas from divergent traditions.
Other versions of a "Book of Shadows" may be found in a variety of places - most public libraries in New Zealand have a couple. This blog could also be seen as a "Book of Shadows". When you encounter a Book it is a good idea to see if you can figure out why the person has made it available, the majority out there are profit making ventures.
If you get hold of a Book, never assume that it contains all the magical knowledge that the author has.
