Magickal Journal (IMG:style_emoticons/default/book.gif)

I have been thinking about how I could get my odd scraps of paper and notes and pics from my computer into a more private offline Journal/Grimoire since anyone can get into our private affairs on here.

In some of the major book stores last year, there was a little black book with a large golden pentacle on the front which I presume was to use as a Book of Shadows. I found it rather obvious unless you happen to live alone and disliked it.

Today, I went into Chelsea to have a look round for possible solutions, in particular for someone like me who is unable to handwrite more than a short shopping list or even draw more than a basic symbol. This is what I have come up with:

A scrapbook in which word processed notes and pictures can be stuck onto a page with photo mounts or eased into photo corners.

Photo albums that have slots that you push the selected notes or images into, protected by clear plastic covers, some have a little space for a title or brief note beside them.

Photo albums that have self adhesive sheets and a layer of clear plastic that goes on top of your entries and self seals round the edges you leave.

A large index card box with different coloured cards placed under the letter of the alphabet relevant to ritual type or entity summoned etc. Again, you can stick word-processed inserts onto the cards.

Make your own hand stitched book and use different page colours as mounts for the inserts. Many art and craft shops and even the larger stationers sell different paper or card weights and sizes as do online stores in many rich or softer colours as preferred.

Two seems to be a good idea, one day-to-day log where all details of rituals etc are entered and one for special happenings where words, photos, artwork and inserts of say pressed flowers or even tiny little herb packets can be entered.

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I HAD to post this link. I've been drooling over these journals for quite some time and just can't justify buying it. I have the fear of writing anything in it since I'm not sure what I'm writing would equal the beauty of the journal. LOL..but they'd still be cool to have!

I agree Angalor, that is why I have decided to make mine with things and record sheets that I can insert and move around if necessary. I just simply would not be able to risk ruining such beautiful journals.

I am thinking of making little envelopes that fold over to put little cards in with sigils on them and that kind of thing too. I have already bought a medium sized book with black card pages and some gold photocorners ready to use. I have some pressed leaves too which I kept in a witchcraft book that I was learning about the wheel of the year from.

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Mine is in a binder, that way I can alphabetically rearange the contents. I also have a pair of dividers. 1- Magickal Info 2- Artificial entity info 3-Spells/Ritualls 5- Recipies/Potions/incense etc. Then i cut like one inch of the edge with the holes in it in a different parir under each divider. So I have 1 divider, the a shorter one beneath. Exept on the artificial entity info i put an index card taped to the top with a lettre at the top. Kinda confusing, But it works (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I also have a binder with dividers but I stuffed it full of magickal notes instead of my own things so that was all pointless, but I have started my Journal with pressed flowers arranged on the front covered in clear sticky film and a little note inside the front cover explaining their significance, so I am on my way lol

The rest of it is in bits everywhere else

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This post has been edited by Radiant Star: Nov 11 2006, 03:54 AM

I just buy a blank book occassionally and fill it with whatever. Every two or three years, I buy two of them and collect anything worthwhile into that, throw out all the old blank books and start over. I've taken to buying these large black cloth ones with no design and the effect is quite elegant, if I do say so myself. Still it's largely a diary full of worries and rants no matter what I buy.

I enjoy the writing process, and if it comes from a stick it note I copy it in the journal and throw the stick it note out. I do a lot of recopying, but it feels more natural that way. Still, no need for everyone to do it my way, that's just the system I've worked out.

Greetings,

I too feel it is basically a persons choice how they wish to use and keep a Magickal Journal or Magickal Diary. I use two separate forms. I type my Ritual Workings, Meditations, and Magickal Practices on the computer, then I print them and use the hole puncher for holes. I place all my Daily Ritual Practices in a Black Binder and place the Date, Time, and Grade of my Workings on a White Label on the outside of the Binder.

For more personal Thoughts, Meditations, Views, and Quotes, I use Black Cloth covered Books that can be puchased with blank pages within. I may take notes throughout the day of insightful ideas or have a moment of clarity that an understanding becomes so clear I crystalize it by writting the thought down. Then, as others have stated, I recopy it into the Book. My Present Book is called "Book of the Morning" since I have been placing many insightful and inspired thoughts within its pages. It reminds me of the Morning Star rising in the East, as a Thought arising from the Darkness of my Unconscios Mind.

Hey, and Thanks to all who have shared their particular ideas on Keeping a Magickal Journal, I am glad there is still an interest in this practice. I have noticed from many Practitioners in other places they say they have quit keping a Magickal Journal. I personally like to keep them because I can review my Past experiences, learn how I have grown, or discover how I may improve a Ritual Technique.

Respectfully,
Helel (Joseph)

I tryed keeping a Spellbook for various years, and it went through many diffrent re-arangings...and then I started keeping a handjournal, those little mead notebooks you can get at the grocery stores? Well, That was three years ago, and I am now on my tenth journal...I write everything in there, recipies, spell ideas, thoughts, readings, events, dreams, etc: Before I had tryed to keep various diffrent journals but they all remained unfininshed or incomplete..these are the best I have ever had, and they seem to work, because I can use one journal for all porpose writing, and they fit in my purse as well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/book.gif)

All the work I've done has been in journal form. Being able to look back on a chronological record of thoughts is helpful to me; &through the tangle being able to decipher attitudes and responses that colour the entire journal. I'm planning to make specific use of lunar and solar/seasonal time; exploring sacred spaces. Which is one side to my journal writing that doesn't get enough attention.

This post has been edited by tyrian: Jan 22 2007, 11:52 AM

I use Circus Ponies NOTEBOOK software on a Mac. It's a tabbed journal and you can add web clippings, pictures (including your sigils, letters), auto dating... it's great. For my Tarot Journal, I created my own journal format, printed them out, and added them to a daytimer style 6x9 book.

Detailed journaling is pretty critical for me.