New Photos Added

I just added some new photos to our Witchy Crafts album. I took some of the wax and candle figures we made. They aren't too clear since I took them earlier tonight, I'll have to retake some of them during the day when there is more light. Even with the over head light on it's still too dark for the white figures.

I also added some more of the books of shadows we'd made to sell on Ebay. I still have a couple of those that weren't listed. I have the one called Psyche and the one with the double rings. Only I colored it and will post a picture of it tomorrow. If I remember. lol. Most of the BOS' were done with wood burners. Some Jeff used his router on. I would like to try decoupaging some of them and others just painting them. Sherwin Williams makes a variety of colored stains for using on woods also, I'm thinking of getting some to try out on wood and check for bleeding. One thing I learned through my studies on pyrography (wood burning) is that you shouldn't use plywood for making wood burned products since the glues used to hold the thin sheets of "wood" together can become toxic when burning them. A seller on Ebay sells bos' made of plywood and they look horrible. The wood is stained and drab looking and yet he is getting $45.00 to $50.00 out of them. Sometimes more. It's sad that most of the pagans out there settle for low grade items and materials when making something that is supposed to last longer than a year or two. Anyone who knows the character of plywood knows that it has a tendency to split and peel after so long. Even using polyurathane on it doesn't guarantee it will last any longer. Using natural woods is the best way to guarantee a BOS is going to last longer. Not to mention it will hold the magickal properties of the wood and make the book so much more magickal.

One of the reason you need to make your own bos instead of purchasing one is because you can empower the book with your own personal energies and the book will work so much better for you. Sure you can buy store bought, but where is the pride and fun in that? And how can you guarantee that book will house your specific magickal properties correctly? There are many ways to make your own book, you can use scrapebooking materials or a note book with filler paper. As long as you do something to it to make it your own. And never let anyone read your book without your permission. If one must take a spell out of it it is said it must be written in your own hand. This is because you need to empower the spell with your own properties. Doing so will make the spell yours and work better for you. Your handwriting is your own specific work. No one has writing like yours. It may be similar but the pressure points and curves are yours alone. You can print the spells off a computer but it still doesn't embide the spell with your powers. It leaves the spell in a neutral light, with no actual power, only words. Sure you can work the spell and empower it with the reading and ritual, but if you write it in your own hand, you are making sure the spell belongs to you and will work for you and no one else. One must have a clear intention for the spell they are working, if you don't then the spell won't work. Just as the two circles used to cast the circle of protection. It must be done in both directions, like a magnet, opposites attract and one cannot be without the other. It's a law of physics and quantum mechanics. North poles on a magnet will not attract or work together but north and south will because they are opposites. See what I mean?

Anyway, I've gone off in another direction again. Damn you Henry. Get out of my head, lol.

Blessings everyone

those are cool and im really looking forward to making my own book of shadows

The pics are great! The BOS's look awesome. I would love to make some. The pictures of the skull really do not do it justice, but I have faith you get a good pic.

Hi Linda,
The pictures are really good I'm sorry I missed that.
thanks for all the info on the BOS I had never thought of making mine out of wood before, they look really good but how heavy are they and is that better or not as good to be heavy?
Thanks for all the information you put out also.
Bob Hart

Hi Bob,

Linda asked me to answer this one since I do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to making wooden BOS.

How heavy each book is depends on the type of wood used, and how many pages it contains. Most of the ones we make for sale are made out of White Ash or Poplar, and come out weighing about 3 to 4 pounds.

Weather it's better to be heavy or not really depends on the individual preference.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

Awesome pics! You give me so much to look forward to with our group. I think I'm constantly excited! We're a fantastic group, but great leadership has a lot to do with what becomes of a group ... AND you've got it -- pure magick!

We've got so many fun, crafty things to make -- what are we going to do first and are you writing this all down so we remember to do them all, LOL!

I look forward to making my BOS out of wood. It has a mystical/magickal look and feel to it. It will be nice to share & write some spells in our BOS together.

Hope you both (Linda & Jeff) are feeling better. I'll continue sending Reiki your way 'cause you can never have too much Reiki ;)

Oh, yeah ... my favorite pics from Beltane were the May Pole & the little one wrapped up in paper making his way to the bathroom :) I'm sure with every Sabbath we celebrate there will be unforgettable pics. Looking forward to Litha.

Love you all,
Deb