Journaling As A Magickal Practice
History of Magickal Journaling
Sometimes known as Grimoires or a Book of Shadows, magickal journals are powerful and familiar tools in any practitioner's arsenal and have been widely utilized for centuries by persons from all creeds and cultures. Some of the oldest known manuscripts date back to ancient Babylonia! In Western esoteric tradition, practitioners of what is often called "High Magick" kept tomes written in cryptic language, in order to keep the secrets of their esoteric findings from those outside of their personal circles.
Today, more accessibly, you can find shelves stocked with ready-made spellbooks from practitioners all around the globe, sharing their recipes for manifestation. For those looking for something a little different, there are also pre-set journals available which contain prompts meant to assist you along your path of growth, healing, and contemplation. These are useful for persons looking to cultivate healthier patterns of thought and reflection through guided writing and meditation exercises.
However, many in the spiritual community also recommend keeping one of your own, because whether they're used to record specific rituals and spells, to keep track of divinations and their follow-ups, or simply to jot down significant details related to one's spiritual practices, journals are fundamental instruments we can use to tap into our own magickal lives.
Applications
When delving into any spiritual practice, it's important to have a way to keep track of our observations so we can come to recognize any significant events or correlations that may be occurring. Did anything strange happen while you were performing your ritual? Jot it down! Have you been running into specific Angel Numbers repeatedly all week? Jot it down! Write down what you see during your meditations and visualization exercises so you can look back a few years later and be able to fully take in the significance of your experience.
When writing an entry in your journal, it is often recommended that notes be made on the date, day, moon phase, and the time of your writing. The more information you include, the more useful data you collect to help you become more intimate with your magickal work.
When working with divination tools, be sure to write down the results of your session, your thoughts and interpretations of the messages given, as well as any follow-up information that surfaces in the days after. When designing a spell or ritual, write down your ingredients, process, intentions, and anything significant that occurs during its performance. Write down any results you notice as well. Now that it's logged away in your grimoire, you can look back and do it again at a later time, or make adjustments as needed!
When we sit and write about our experiences, we bring our energy and attention to them. It is a mindful practice that allows us to sit down and dedicate a sacred time to the study of the spirit.
Dedicating Your Grimoire
You're going to want to dedicate a notebook specifically for the purpose of your spiritual work. You may choose to have one for different subjects (eg: one for dreams, one for spells, one for divinations, etc), but the important thing is that the book only be devoted to its practice and isn't littered with grocery lists, school notes, and other business. This is a sacred space for sacred things.
First, choose a medium that speaks to you. Some people feel most comfortable putting pen to paper, enjoying the rustic feel of crafting an old-school grimoire. However, in this modern age, there are ways to keep online blogs that will work just as well! Then again, some practices may not feel best suited for the technological realm (for example, maybe doing Druidic-based, nature work would benefit better from a paperback medium). Ultimately, though, it's up to whatever works best for you.
Once you've selected your medium, you're going to want to consecrate, or dedicate it formally, to divine purpose. This can be done by first cleansing the medium via smoke, incense, or evocation. When working with an online medium, performing a cleansing ritual and creating a sacred sigil or text to inscribe on the first page of the blog will suffice in place of other methods. On paperback mediums, too, writing a dedication page declaring the work as a blessed vessel for spiritual purposes is appropriate. Some may choose to "anoint" their journals with prepared, blessed oils. The methods are myriad, the choice is yours!
Depending on their purpose, I recommend keeping your books at your altars, wherever your other often used magickal materials are, or close to your bedside. Some may even sleep with their journals tucked under their pillows -- this is particularly useful for dream journals, since it provides quick and easy access. Do not just leave your rmagickal journals to rot in your bookshelves uselessly. Unless, of course, you have a dedicated bookshelf that sees lots of attention from you! The point is to keep them in places that encourage their use and amplify their respective energy.
Then, all that's left to do is use it alongside your other magickal tools! With consistent use, you'll come to open your eyes to the magick of the world around you as you discover trends, affirmations, and oracular events in real time. You'll cultivate a deeper understanding of your relationship with the universe and Spirit, and of the energies at work in your life.
Want More?
Check out our bookstore for a wide selection of pre-written Grimoires and Books of Shadow to inspire your work. Then visit the apothecary and herbs section for tools to perform your consecration ritual. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to stop by our store and talk to one of our staff and we'll be happy to point you in the right direction! In the meantime, enjoy the adventure of finding your next (or first) magickal journal. Blessed be!