Be-Witching Scripture
The 'Book of Shadows' as Scripture within Wicca/Neopagan Witchcraft
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/post.v2i2.273Keywords:
witchcraft, paganism, Wicca, Book of ShadowsAbstract
This article describes the idea of the Book of Shadows (BoS) within both historical and contemporary Wicca/Neopagan Witchcraft, focusing specifically on how the BoS may be understood as “scripture.” The concept of “scripture” within this work is defined as a tripartite matrix of textuality, performance, and iconicity. Through a descriptive investigation of the history of the religion and the BoS, its use as ritual text and as ritual object, its physical meaning and iconicity, and its invested authority, this article shows that the BoS can be understood as a form of scripture, in a functional and analogous sense. In addition, the article briefly discusses the effect of popular “howto” books on scriptural or canonical authority and how these, along with the concept of the BoS, are serving to routinize and standardize a tradition that largely prides itself on being creative and spontaneous.
References
Adler, Margot. 1986. Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. New York: Penguin Compass.
Berger, Helen A. 1995. “The Routinization of Spontaneity.” Sociology of Religion 56: 49-61. doi:10.2307/3712038.
———. 1999. A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
Charmed. Prod. Aaron Spelling. Warner Brothers. 1998–2006.
Cunningham, Scott. 1997. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Darrell and Star Dancer. 2003. Pages from Our Book. Online Posting. September 17, 2003. The Book of Shadows. http://bookofshadows.info/main/pages.htm (accessed 2 May 2005).
Frew, D. H. 1998. “Methodological Flaws in Recent Studies of Historical and Modern Witchcraft.” Ethnologies 1: 33-65.
Gardner, Gerald B. 2004. Witchcraft Today. New York: Citadel Press [1954].
———. 2004. The Meaning of Witchcraft. Boston: Weiser Books [1959].
Graham, William A. 1987. Beyond the Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. 1999. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. New York: Facts on File, Inc.
Halbertal, Moshe. 1987. People of the Book: Canon, Meaning, and Authority. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hutton, Ronald. 1999. Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Internet Sacred Text Archive. 2003. The Gardnerian Book of Shadows. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/index.htm> (accessed 2 May, 2005).
Kelly, Aidan. 1991. Crafting the Art of Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn.
Magliocco, Sabina. 2004. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-paganism in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Malley, Brian. 2004. How the Bible Works: An Anthropological Study of Evangelical Biblicism. New York: Altamira Press.
Magdalene’s Online Book of Shadows. 1997. Michigan State University. <http://www.msu.edu/~rohdemar/earth/BoS.html> (accessed May 2, 2005).
Murray, Margaret. 1962. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe. London: Oxford University Press [1921].
———. 1970. The God of the Witches. London: Oxford University Press [1931].
Orion, Loretta. 1995. Never Again the Burning Times: Paganism Revived. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
Ravenwolf, Silver. 1996. To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
———. 2003. Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Starhawk. 1999. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
Watts, James W. 1999. Reading Law: The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
———. 2005. “Ritual Legitimacy and Scriptural Authority.” Journal of Biblical Literature 124: 401-17.
York, Michael. 1996. “New Age and Paganism.” In Pagan Pathways: A Guide to the Ancient Earth Traditions, ed. Graham Harvey and Charlotte Hardman, 157-68. London: Thorsons.
Berger, Helen A. 1995. “The Routinization of Spontaneity.” Sociology of Religion 56: 49-61. doi:10.2307/3712038.
———. 1999. A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
Charmed. Prod. Aaron Spelling. Warner Brothers. 1998–2006.
Cunningham, Scott. 1997. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Darrell and Star Dancer. 2003. Pages from Our Book. Online Posting. September 17, 2003. The Book of Shadows. http://bookofshadows.info/main/pages.htm (accessed 2 May 2005).
Frew, D. H. 1998. “Methodological Flaws in Recent Studies of Historical and Modern Witchcraft.” Ethnologies 1: 33-65.
Gardner, Gerald B. 2004. Witchcraft Today. New York: Citadel Press [1954].
———. 2004. The Meaning of Witchcraft. Boston: Weiser Books [1959].
Graham, William A. 1987. Beyond the Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. 1999. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. New York: Facts on File, Inc.
Halbertal, Moshe. 1987. People of the Book: Canon, Meaning, and Authority. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hutton, Ronald. 1999. Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Internet Sacred Text Archive. 2003. The Gardnerian Book of Shadows. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/index.htm> (accessed 2 May, 2005).
Kelly, Aidan. 1991. Crafting the Art of Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn.
Magliocco, Sabina. 2004. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-paganism in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Malley, Brian. 2004. How the Bible Works: An Anthropological Study of Evangelical Biblicism. New York: Altamira Press.
Magdalene’s Online Book of Shadows. 1997. Michigan State University. <http://www.msu.edu/~rohdemar/earth/BoS.html> (accessed May 2, 2005).
Murray, Margaret. 1962. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe. London: Oxford University Press [1921].
———. 1970. The God of the Witches. London: Oxford University Press [1931].
Orion, Loretta. 1995. Never Again the Burning Times: Paganism Revived. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
Ravenwolf, Silver. 1996. To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
———. 2003. Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Starhawk. 1999. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
Watts, James W. 1999. Reading Law: The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
———. 2005. “Ritual Legitimacy and Scriptural Authority.” Journal of Biblical Literature 124: 401-17.
York, Michael. 1996. “New Age and Paganism.” In Pagan Pathways: A Guide to the Ancient Earth Traditions, ed. Graham Harvey and Charlotte Hardman, 157-68. London: Thorsons.
Published
2008-03-14
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Krause-Loner, S. (2008). Be-Witching Scripture: The ’Book of Shadows’ as Scripture within Wicca/Neopagan Witchcraft. Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts, 2(2-3), 273-292. https://doi.org/10.1558/post.v2i2.273
