Journaling is an exercise practiced by many magic-users for a variety of purposes and in many different methods. Journaling can be an exercise in focus, it can help us broaden our view of things, helps us make connections and helps us keep track of our growth or lack thereof.
Book of Shadows
The Book of Shadows is probably a witch’s most well-known journal. It is generally a book outlining a witch’s magical experiments, reference notes, and observations, though many witches keep a scrap journal for day to day notetaking and only record the highlights in the Book of Shadows to keep things organized.
Thus, some witches’ Books of Shadows are more journal-like than others, or perhaps more like a formal scientific journal than a personal journal.
A witch may have many Books of Shadows in her lifetime, starting new ones as she enters a new stage in her practice, or as she runs out of room to write in the old one.
Dream Journal
Another journal that many magic-users keep is the dream journal. This may be part of a personal journal, the Book of Shadows, or it may be its own thing.
Keeping a dream journal helps us to remember our dreams and to stay in touch with our unconscious minds. One of the most important things witches must learn is to know themselves; a dream journal helps with this.
For those of us that engage in dreamwork, it becomes even more important and more like a Book of Shadows, recording our experiments and insights as well.
Divination Journal
A divination journal keeps track of messages received via divination. Some magic-users draw a single runestone or tarot card daily while others may give themselves a complete reading.
Writing down the results of these exercises helps us better apply whatever wisdom is imparted and helps us remember what was learned on any given day and relate it to our activities. Keeping a divination journal also helps to strengthen our divination skills.
Personal Journal
Many magic-users also keep a personal journal. In this journal, we can free write, brainstorm, make lists and charts of pros and cons in order to clarify our intent and elaborate on our magical practice.
It also helps us to “unpack” our feelings about things, so we can stop thinking about them for a while and focus on what’s important, or at least within our control.
Which One Should You Use?
Depending on the personal interests of a magic-user, many journals may be kept. I keep a plant journal, and a kitchen journal in addition to a personal journal, a Book of Shadows and a dream journal.
Others may keep an Astrology journal, a meditation journal, or a journal related to any of the physical or mental exercises they practice as part of their Craft.
How would I start a magical journal? I plan to write one but I don’t know how.
As the article states, a magical journal is just a journal about a magical topic. Just get a notebook and write whatever you want in it. Just start writing.
What do you pought in a magic journal?
I am not sure how to explain it more than I did in the post.
Like, anything you want. The results of your divinations, your magical experiments, thoughts on magical subjects, whatever.