Quotes found on a forgotten Pagan site by Clio SilverLove. I don't often find someone who thinks as I do about being or becoming Pagan and the issues about goddess/gods, spells, and etc. I'm quoting from this site because its no longer updated and very likely to disappear from its free web host. I like what Clio wrote and I wanted to keep it around.

Why You Will Never Find A Spell On My Site.

When asked for a spell, a person I met in a pagan chatroom said, "I would rather give someone a nuclear bomb than give a spell to a beginner and I would feel much safer."

At the time, I found it a bit funny and witty but later, after considering what he said, I had to agree with him. Some witches and/or pagans may disagree with me, and I acknowledge that they have the right to their own opinion, but I can't imagine giving someone a spell when I can never know how they will use it. I would not even give my best friend a spell not knowing how they will use it.

I am a firm believer that spells can be likened to prayers. It may be the Christianity in my background that makes me say that but to me spells are a way of asking the Goddess to do something for you in a specific way. My belief may not be others though. Some may use spells I have written to manipulate someone else or cause someone else's downfall for their own gain. I cannot take that responsibility. Besides, the outcome of a spell for me may be very different for someone else. When I "cast" a spell, I do it with a humble, beseeching heart that is devoted to my Goddess. I could not imagine giving my personal spells, my "prayers", to someone who may pervert them.

My dear friends, I do not mean to discourage you who are searching for the meaning of Wicca nor am I saying that you would do such a thing but to me, spells are very private things. Please bare me no ill will if you were searching for spells. I am sure that you will be able to find them somewhere else but before you think of casting a spell, learn the true meaning of the religion you are researching and are interested in. Strive to understand Wicca and its components. If you find a spell, study it piece by piece but do not think of casting it unless you are ready to take the responsibility for your actions.

Make sure the spell does not:

1. Go against the Wiccan Rede (Harm none do as ye wilt).

2. Result in the manipulation of someone else's free will.

3. Compromise your own judgement, morals, and feelings about what is good and what is not.

4. Require harming someone else or causing someone else to suffer.

There are more that should be on this list (^) but I do not have the space to write them all down.

If you have a more experienced person or group who you trust, ask them about their theories on casting someone else's spells or giving your spells to someone else and see what they say. Do not take my own rules as cast (pardon the pun) in stone. I invite and charge you to explore on your own to form your own theories on this subject. The glory of this religion is that it is based on a person's right to think for him or herself, SO THINK FOR YOURSELF. Learn, read, ask questions, and think for yourself and form your own conclusions.

Dear Fellow Seekers,

Merry Meet to you.

First, let me say I'm honored that you have decided to read my page. It means a lot to me to see that my page is read at all, so thank you very much.

Now, I recently received a letter from a Wiccan who was very angry at me for misrepresenting Wiccans. My response to this is the same as I put on my Yahoo! Group page: I am a Pagan who seeks the Goddess in my life but I'm not narrowed by choosing a specific path. I am not a Wiccan. I have no name for my "religion" other than Pagan.

I have started this page for those of us out there who are tired of having different Pagan sects throw their beliefs in our faces every time we search for answers and are seeking to reconnect to the Goddess in other ways. Wicca and other NeoPagan religions are fine religions and this page is not about hating on them. I respect those who follow that path but there are others out there as well. This page is for those who are searching, like me, for their own way to the Goddess.

I'm not trying to say that I'm better than anyone else, or that I represent anyone but myself. I'm not trying to misrepresent Wiccans, Witches, or anyone else. I'm just putting my own beliefs and thoughts on the screen and letting others decide what they will.

To the others whose are reading this, remember only this: "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." -- Buddha

May the Goddess (and the God) be with you.

Clio SilverLove*

Found on several Etsy shops: "My broom broke.. so now I write".

I like the idea, but it doesn't really make sense as a thing for writers.

• now I work from home.
• now I'm dating my bus driver.
• now I charge the dust bunnies rent.

What can you come up with?

I found, on Amazon, a book for solitary Witches written by Rowan Morgana, a woman from Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. I have not ordered the book, it seems to be more about spells and recipes than I would like. But, overall it has very good reviews on Amazon.

Have you heard of a book for solitary Pagans, Wiccans, or Witches by someone from Ontario? I like finding a book from someone in BC, but Ontario would be closer to home.

The Solitary Wicca Guide: Spells and Rituals to Practice, Learn, and Thrive - by Rowan Morgana

Some people don't even give Pagan, Wicca or Witch/ Witchcraft a capital letter any more. This bothers me.

Pagan is a title, a proper name for something, a title. When using English (the language is also title) we should capitalize the first letter of a word that is a title.

I know English language standards have slipped into non-importance for some people. But, I see this lack of capital letter from people who do make an effort at writing well and keeping the standards for communication in English with all the right punctuation, grammar and spelling. Sure, we all make mistakes. But, not putting a capital letter on a title is not like a spelling mistake or a typo you only make once and don't happen to catch. It looks deliberate.

Has Pagan lost it's place, it's importance?

Your Book of Shadows (BoS) is personal. You can make the entire book yourself or buy a book, decorate it and then begin creating the contents of your own Book of Shadows. However you start the physical, actual book and however you decorate it - it's what's inside that counts.

A Book of Shadows can be for a coven, keeping the rules, rituals and history of the coven. Members of the coven will use the coven's BoS to copy the rituals into their own Books and keep a running history of changes and new ideas.

A Book of Shadows can be Hand-Written, Typed or on the Internet

You can find great examples of online BoS as blogs. Many of them are abandoned, left online as an archive, not active but not deleted. Most likely they are forgotten, some may have moved on to another site or their own domain. Some just lost interest or the passion waned or they finished high school and had less time to keep the Book of Shadows going.

If you keep your BoS on your computer you can easily arrange it and back it up to an external hard drive, or whatever works for you.

You might use a journal program which keeps a back up.

Some software will give you a password to keep it locked from any spying eyes or just make it feel private so you can write more of your thoughts without thinking about who might read them.

I like a paper/print Book of Shadows because it isn't virtual.

A paper BoS is nice because you can keep all your scribbled notes and rough drafts. They are nice to look through at times. You see your first and original thoughts rather than only your polished version of each ritual, idea and thought.

Consider a binder for a paper/print Book of Shadows - you can move pages around and keep everything in order by topic. Or, stick with the more traditional journal where you write things as they happen and keep your thoughts as they occur to you. In that case you can create coloured tabs to stick to pages which are most important or referred to often. You might even put them in protective sleeves, but they are usually plastic so I'm not keen on them.

Add as many items from nature as you can. A few leaves in the Autumn, pressed flowers in the Spring and Summer. Squish a berry between pages and write around the resulting colour. Try a few ideas but watch out for the pages of your Book, keep them safe from harm too.

Your Book of Shadows style will depend on you and whether you see your BoS as a reflection of your personal journey or more like a text book of facts and information.

Extra Touches to Personalize Your Book of Shadows

Of course you can decorate your Book with clip art, your own art or drawings, things you've clipped out of magazines and apply like a collage. Add all the art you like to make the Book your own.

Use the title page to write your name, give the book a special title and write the date you started the book. Add details about the day: the weather, your mood, something good that happened, anything interesting.

As you begin to start your fresh Book of Shadows, write a Book Blessing. Make the blessing a dedication to your spiritual growth, your path of learning and protection for the information within the covers of your book.

If it suits you, write an invocation to the Goddess or Gods. (I don't do this, my beliefs are different).

Write about your choice to follow the Pagan path. How did you get here and why did you choose Wicca or Witchcraft, Solitary, Eclectic, or Coven?

Write about your ethics and beliefs as they are now. (Expect these to change, grow and waiver as you learn and discover more).

Write your own initiation, or an initiation for your Book of Shadows.

Make it personal, for you.