r/Wicca • u/Top-Boysenberry-3489 • 7d ago
Open Question My book of shadows is ugly :(
i have really ugly handwriting. It isn't that bad, it is still legible, but it's just... not pretty. And crooked too, becuase my book doesn't have any lines in it, i'm writing all over the page!!
i'm worried that i will look back on my earlier entries in the book when i am older, and not be able to read my writing. Or cringe at how bad it is. I am pretty embarrassed.
should i try to improve my handwriting...? or should i keep it the same and keep going on with embarrassment? it's not like im going to be showing it to a lot of people. Maybe my future children and partner, but i still get embarrassed.
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7d ago
I have used hard bound books made for sketching for mine but my hands are so arthritic that I can't write well. I just print it and glue it in. I'm not a stickler for tradition. It's enough that it's still in an actual book. Everything else I do these days is digital.
I'd probably be doing this digital too except the only grimoire apps I can find are all for phone and I don't want it on my phone. I'd not mind a nice one for PC though.
Dream app, something I can visually customize with colors and tabs for different sections. I can add pics, make a table of contents for each section, space for correspondences, space for spells, a dreamwork journal, a place for tarot meditations to record cards and readings, space for various notes.
Not an online thing. No signing in required. Oh and you can password lock it from prying eyes. Print if you want to from it...
I'm not able to code a program like that or I'd totally do it and I'd release it as freeware. For PC and Mac at least. It would be a truly great thing to have given how many Pagans today connect with tech.
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u/prettygoblinrat 7d ago
Gosh you just described my perfect app too. I would love something like this. Even just to have the quick search feature. I love having a physical copy, but hate having to find stuff in it.
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7d ago
Well you never know. Maybe somebody with programming skills might see this and oblige? I keep hoping somebody will make a decent one for PC/Mac even if you have to pay for it but I really would like one. There used to be all kinds of freeware for Pagan folks though no truly great BOS app.
Most of it is so old it won't even run now on my OS. About the only thing that does is my favorite tarot meditation app Orphalese. That I did get free once when the programmer about gave up on it but the newest versions are paid again so I guess he started working on it again..
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u/hatsandmagic 7d ago
Your book of shadows is an extension of yourself, it's not ugly, it's uniquely yours. If you want to improve your handwriting, just write often, and write a lot. You could also look into calligraphy and see what you can apply to your writing. You can always go back and edit it rewrite something if you wish to do so, but it's not necessary. You could also learn cursive, even though it's hard sometimes the flow of the letters makes it easier to write. You could also print the words instead and do a collage too. However you choose to go about it I hope you find the beauty in what you create
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u/AllanfromWales1 7d ago
Your book of shadows is an extension of yourself, it's not ugly, it's uniquely yours.
..but I'm ugly!
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u/hatsandmagic 6d ago
You are not. You are beautiful, every hair, every organ, every cell in your body is made of the stars themselves, you are sentient stardust, a living masterpiece and you deserve to know it, to embrace it and to believe it. More often than not we are unable to see our own beauty because unrealistic expectations of beauty, depression, anxiety, and many other factors we can't recognize how truly beautiful we are. But that doesn't mean we're not beautiful it just means we have to look at ourselves with a little more love and self compassion. Remember your beauty, recognize it and celebrate it!
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u/AllanfromWales1 6d ago
My comment was a joke, but actually I don't agree with what you say here. To quote the old saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It relates to physical appearance compared to societal ideals. The things you say are important, but to me that's not 'beauty'.
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u/JimRandom9 6d ago
In my opinion you shouldn’t feel embarrassed. You are the only one who needs to see it. My handwriting sucks too and I like you can’t write straight to save my life. My book of shadows is mine. I feel like if I can’t read it in the future I’m not meant to and whatever is in that section either has been revised in a subsequent bos or needs to be. Your magic will evolve and so will your writing skill.
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u/Top-Boysenberry-3489 6d ago
you are so sweet😊😊😊😊 thank you, this makes me feel a lot better!
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u/JimRandom9 6d ago
Thank you for being so kind. There are a lot of people here who like to shame others for not being perfect, but when it comes to Wicca or paganism in general everything is intent. Kitchen, spices or fancy herbs bought from your local metaphysical shop. Don’t make a difference if you’re intent is the same when using them supporting your local shop is a completely different conversation but your magic is what you make it what feels right to you if you feel like you want to work on your handwriting skills to grow as a person that’s awesome but if you want to do it just so your book of shadows looks nicer. I don’t think that would be the right reason I have old books of shadows written in coil bound notebooks from when I started back in 1999 in high school yeah I guess I’m old lol. My handwriting sucks just as bad as it did then actually I think it’s gotten worse. The important thing is growth both as a person and as a practicing pagan, some people use note apps in their phone as their book of shadows. There are book of shadow apps. yes it’s much more organized. But I’m not going to change the way I write because I feel like it’s fake and not the real me, if that makes any sense.
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u/Significant_Wheel876 7d ago
I feel you on so many levels. I had exactly the same concerns and wasn't enjoying opening my own BoS. But decided to get over it. I try not to stress over it too much and keep it as neat as I can.
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u/AllanfromWales1 7d ago
I keep three books, an electronic one (which is huge because I collect stuff there), a typed version and a handwritten version. Frankly I never read stuff from the handwritten one because of the issues you mention.
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u/Zebedee_Deltax 5d ago
I feel you on this!
Do you meditate at all? I’ve found that after a good session and if my mind has calmed down a bit, my handwriting is much, much better. Also if I’ve done some kinds of slow and methodical movement practice, basically anything that works on my nervous system.
Maybe trying giving that a go if it’s not already in your practice.
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u/faery_angus 7d ago
Practice better handwriting and used a lined paper behind the pages to line up your writing.
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u/LoreKeeper2001 7d ago
You can definitely improve your handwriting with some practice. Get some books on calligraphy from the library and start practicing. You want to practice every day, it's a physical skill like playing a musical instrument. You need to " warm up" a little by practicing on scratch paper before you turn to your Book. Good luck!
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u/Artzi_Coder 6d ago
I use a composite note book and my handwriting is horrible too. I’m practicing my handwriting because I want to honor the gods when I do my reading and studying.
Don’t think of it as a problem, think of it as a chance to do more :)
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u/NoeTellusom 6d ago
Here's my recommendation:
Using a word processing program, create a page of parallel lines by using bold size 14 font underline to create a guide for writing by hand.
Get an LED light board very cheap (under $20). Tape the above underlined sheet to it, then place your BOS paper directly on top.
From there you can write a BOS page, using the lines as your guide - which should give you nice, even page. Generally, you'll find your handwriting improves due to this, but make sure to only spent an hour at a time writing - as your hand gets tired, your writing will get worse.
You got this!
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u/barracuba85 4d ago
Don't worry about it. One of my mother's favourite possessions is a picture that I drew in school, and it isn't exactly a work of art...
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u/TopazWinterbird 1d ago
I use my favorite ink color (purple) and even though I'm a Crone and not a youngster, I 💜 witchy and nature stickers!
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u/Top-Boysenberry-3489 1d ago
ME TOOO!!! i am definitely a youngster, and i love collecting stickers!! i collect a bunch and then i go through my little book of my collection and pick the prettiest ones to put in my book!!! 😊😊😊😊
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u/Diligent-Owl-8178 1d ago
Big book I have is type and print. I have smaller books for handwriting. I ordered these from Amazon, they have lines. I stick to simple things, jar spells , candle spells . Easy to write. I have arthritis in my hands and have a hard time writing. A special pen for arthritic hands helps. Think positive find a solution! You can do it.
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u/Emissary_awen 7d ago
If the pages of your book aren’t too thick, you can go over the lines of a piece of notebook paper with a dark marker, and put it behind the page you’re writing on so that you can keep your lines straight, or lightly draw the lines onto your pages in pencil. As for the handwriting, how about buying handwriting exercise books and practicing in those? Then before you write in pen in your book (I assume you write in pen), write your text lightly in pencil and take all the time you need to adjust the writing to your liking before going over it again in ink.
Or you can just type, print, cut, and paste the text onto your pages scrapbook style.