Do Traditional Witches use a Book of Shadows like Wiccans do?
No, a Traditional Witch does not use a Book of Shadows. The term “Book of Shadows” comes from the times of witch hunts, when covens practiced in the “shadows” or away from prying eyes. Traditional Witches have never kept a book of any sort, this mostly because if a person was caught with something of the sort in their possession, they would be tried and then probably murdered. The other reason for not keeping a book was that most everyone used to be illiterate a hundred years back and of course, earlier. All traditions passed their information and “secrets” (spells, ritual, whatever) orally. This is why most of the “old ways” have been lost in some traditions and other traditions have completely died out. The Book of Shadows and Grimoire (a similar book) are relatively recent things (early 1900’s). Nowadays, some Witches keep a book for easy reference and the fear of forgetting, but it is mostly referred to (at least in public) as the “Great Book”. Another general name used for such a
