Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is a general name used to describe a witch's spellbook. Such items can often be found in programs of the supernatural fantasy subgenre. A Book of Shadows is a personal item, usually bound to an individual or a family and may contain any number of written spells, incantations or personal notations.

On the WB Network television series Charmed, the Halliwell sisters, aka, the "Charmed Ones" discovered their family's Book of Shadows in the attic of their family home at 1329 Prescott Street. The book was a heavy tome and had been handed down to them by the Warren line of witches. Through it, the sisters were able to not only call upon spells to unlock their inherited abilities, but they could also use it to learn about a conjunctive effect called the Power of Three. The leather-bound cover of the book was embossed with the Triquetra, which symbolized the Power of Three. In season two, a demon named Abraxas stole the Book of Shadows and began reciting passages out of it backwards, countering any spells that the Halliwells had cast in the past.

Such grimoires were also found in the CW Network television series The Secret Circle. Each of the six witch families of Chance Harbor, Washington owned a Book of Shadows, which served as both a spell book and a personal diary. Teenage witch Cassie Blake inherited her mother Amelia's Book of Shadows shortly following her death in 2012. When Cassie relocated to Chance Harbor and met the other witches in her Circle, they each sought to locate books that belonged to their families.

Notes & Trivia

 * The Charmed: The Complete Series limited edition DVD set was patterned in the style of the Book of Shadows as seen in the show.


 * Book of Shadows was also the subtitle to the 2000 sequel to the film The Blair Witch Project, aptly titled, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.

Appearances

 * Charmed: Pilot