(A very embarrassing) Full Grimoire Tour // ALL of my Witchcraft Grimoires

[@dylanmagoiofthethalasso4032]

As a community we REEAALLLLYY need to deinfluence our record keeping books because the only reason why we *think* we need our books to look a certain aesthetic is because of Hollywood witch movies. Older witches and practitioners pre internt, pre movies didn't have to deal with their books being aesthetic, they just wrote what needed to be written and drew what needed to be drawn. As an artist myself I want to make books look aesthetic but do I *have to?* No, so I'm trying to deinfluence myself from books in media and just write and draw what *needs* to be there and maybe have a little more aesthetic along the way. I love the system you are doing for your current Grimoire plus it's VERY gorgeous. I love the Troll Cross idea. I love the bullet journal community but like 98% of that community want to make their BuJo aesthetic and there are real time create this spread with me and so many of them are over 40 minutes, an hour to 2 hours. I have fatigue and I'm not dedicating that time (and money) to be "aesthetic". So I have to look up minimalist BuJo videos which aren't big in numbers. Also the "aesthetics" of our record keeping books and most of the BuJo community is frankly playing into capitalism, with all the washie tapes, stickers, pens, highlighters/mild liners, sticky notes, stencils and so on you have to drop a lot of money to be "aesthetic".

[@edafyrekat3676]

This!!

[@bleubayou5119]

Preach!!!!

[@ashs7522]

Absolutely. My current grimoire is a plain black spiral bound notebook and I LOVE it. It lays flat and I have the pages numbered so I can build a table of contents as I go. I don’t do drawings at all and the whole thing is in mismatched pencil/blue ink/black ink. It’s ✨perfect✨

[@dylanmagoiofthethalasso4032]

@@ashs7522 I'm glad that you found a way to create a Grimoire that works for you 😃👍

[@tiryaclearsong421]

As a slightly off topic comment, there are a couple of minimalist bujo subreddits. I think one is called r/bujo and another is r/basicbulletjournels. They're really great for deinfluencing bullet journals.

[@aliahwelch4064]

We absolutely need to normalize gremlin scribbling down our thoughts and spells and shenanigans down on the nearest sheets of paper and compiling our thoughts at a later date. It OKAY! We all have the urge to be aesthetic but it’s not always practical at 3am when I’m trying to collect my moonwater and totally forgot to label the date and moon phase and then my deities are poking me and it’s chaotic- and scrap paper *clearly* doesn’t need to be pretty or organized so I worry less

[@Yep6803]

Tbh not only for witchy stuffs. In general, c'mon, WE'RE HUMANS. I'm planning to write my second version on pc then print it for making it more aesthetic. So, one version (the most "my") ugly and the second more beauty. This is the smarter one. Plus not everyone need a book of shadow, I only got a book of mirror!

[@thememoryguardians]

I relate so hard to starting new things and abandoning them. I tend to get overwhelmed cause the vision of how I want my grimoire to be doesn't become reality.

[@bleubayou5119]

A recipe box with index cards serves me quite well most days. I even use the alpha cards to make it easy to find what I’m looking for. I have a home laminator for those cards I frequently pull out - whether it be spells or prayers I just cannot remember, laminate them so they last a little longer. Then I tuck my box into a bookshelf close to my main altar and go about my day. 😊

[@paperstorycraft]

That’s what I use too. It’s been my favorite over the years.

[@naturalwitchery]

I love this!

[@cheshira2646]

You said your third grimoire was ugly but I really have to digress. Who cares if those drawings aren’t glued in, they look GORGEOUS! and maybe plain writing is ugly to you, but a consistent margin and well-formatted spacing aren’t exactly easy! I think your grimoire is beautiful, personally. Be nice to yourself!

[@TheNorseWitch]

Aww thanks ❤️

[@Yep6803]

@@TheNorseWitch as writer myself words looks more beautiful than pictures sometimes! 😅

[@witchofverdure]

How strongly I relate to, "I tried to make this like a Witchcraft 101 book". That's my hang up. My thinking is always, "well, what if one of my descendants find this?" As if they wouldn't have the resources to do background research...I've been treating my bullet journal more like an actual grimoire. I have a few pages where I scribble that month's workings (with the intention of, if they work, to add them to the grimoire later. Have I? No....)

[@vicky_thegiantpossum]

me too...!

[@StrangeAnd_Unusual]

this is the only relatable video i've seen about books in witchcraft. i've finally started actually writing more than 3 pages because i have accepted that my books are going to be ugly.

[@betanya2994]

I was the same with my Grimoire journey. Now i have loose papers that I will bind together once I'm done and its working well for me so far. I also write when I have the motivation, thats when I am inspired. Thank you for showing the reality of what most of us struggle with. I say just write things down and work on consolidating info later.

[@LuciaRH_]

The Norse Witch: “I tried to make things pretty. Found out I’m not good at that” The Norse Witch: *shows the most beautiful and realistic grimoires I’ve ever seen* I loved this video! I also used to struggle a lot at the beginning because I couldn’t make my practice as aesthetic as the internet showed me it should be. I probably tried to write ten “witchcraft 101” and abandoned them all 😂 Now I’m just okay either way being “messy”. What a great and relatable video! 💖💖💖

[@evevillein]

I recognised myself soo much with all the Grimoires. I also had to overcome perfectionism paralysis. But I did it by making junk journals. They only consist of junk and trash, like the pages are paper bags from last take outs and such stuff. It‘s Meant to be ugly! I but theoretical stuff in it. Messy sketches. Or Sabbat stuff. Glued on napkins from last Easter/Ostara. Teabags with samples of my own blends, I can be chaotic and artsy and it is not a problem. But I also keep a book of shadows that is just a normal notebook for my daily practice and smaller rituals.

[@KCNeill18]

Honestly, your most recent grimoire really pleases my ADHD! I really struggle with perfectionism, making it pretty, putting down information I'll actually use, and figuring out the order of things. The tab system is perfect!!

[@TheNorseWitch]

And it works so well!! I’m completely out of the „I have to add everything in the right order“ problem! ☺️☺️☺️

[@Vanessa__Pauls]

How do you keep your writing so straight without lines on the page? I love your final grimoire

[@juliambada]

This is exactly the type of video I like: unashamedly showing how witchcraft works in REAL LIFE. Thanks for your honesty. PS - my grimoires are a big ring binder and a small note book with notes on spells I’ve performed. Single mum = no time for frills.

[@Chihiro_Natsuki]

“It’s just ugly” and then it’s the most neat, beautiful handwriting with well explained words. This actually really helped. Your layout is good and I might use it as an example for mine!! ❤

[@GremRaven]

Personally I like the artistic grimoire project but I always have a messy grimoire that I can scribble away in. It takes the pressure off to make it perfect and it helps me reflect on my notes as I’m transferring stuff into the ✨pretty grimoire✨

[@007aparicio]

Wow!! I just have one grimore that had been changed 3 times, but because I didn't like the fist and second time. It is true that having a pretty Grimmore is difficult but sometimes I draw and sometimes I use stickers that are beautiful and resonate with the content. If you want you can use a non-coloring sticker like those that are only golden and black, and is an easy way to make your book beautiful and artsy!!

[@kaylajohnson313]

It's reassuring to see that a grimoire doesn't have to be elaborate and that others struggle with keeping one. I also struggle with wanting to make my grimoire pretty, but not really having the motivation for it. I have so many notebooks that only have a few pages done. Now, I keep all of the information for my grimoire in a typed document and just alter and reprint individual pages as needed. I also keep it in a binder so I can rearrange the pages as I see fit. Plus, I figure that if the mood strikes me to make the pages pretty, I can just do one or two pages at a time. Then I will just replace the page in the binder. I think your current grimoire is amazing and I love the idea of color coding the pages!

[@Cristisauurus]

I loooved it! Sometimes I feel awful because I can’t keep up with any Grimoire that I start but now I feel so relieved. I tried to make it look pretty and aesthetic but I realised it isn’t my thing soo…. I’ll just write in it 😀😀❤

[@TheNorseWitch]

Just make it work for you, that’s the only important thing, that’s what I have found ☺️

[@meli-cruz]

A loose index is SUCH a cool idea!

[@nicholasfotou2980]

Most of my work is done in my regular journal. Then I have a Peter Pauper press notebook I neatly print and sketch the core bits of my practice that have proven themselves.

[@n.johanness7451]

The closest to a grimoire/book of shadows I keep as a word document. Mostly it is just a lot of ”inspirational” material, i.e. quotes from all kinds of witchy and spiritual books to motivate me intuitively in some kind of right direction and get me unstuck when my mind goes blank and I need words that get me in the right mood. I find that keeping it as a word document has the advantage that I can cut and paste the quotes to other parts of the document depending on what I am most into at the moment and want to find first.

[@bellaluna9696]

Your handwriting is so pretty! At least from what we can see in the video ☺ I just took the first notebook I found that wasn't checkered patterned and rolled with it. Yesterday I went and numbered all the pages, and at some point I plan on making an index for it, as well as copying all the spells/recipes/similar to a separate notebook so they're in one place and easier to find than the chaos that is my grimoire 😆

[@somnisveritas6465]

Passing along an idea for a DIY grimoire. Its not hard to build you own binder. Get a large enough piece of hide or leather, along with paper of what ever quality you desire. Treat the paper and leather. You can either make book signatures and sew them into the leather leaving things easy to snip and resew to add/move/remove things. The other construction method I use brass chicago screws to act as the binding making a binder of some sort. To modify or expand just unscrew and do what you need to do, then line up the holes and rescrew. Viola! The look of a leather journal but the flexibility of a binder. I prefer this because I hate rewriting my work and I hate having info all over the place. I dont give a damn about looks, I'll be dead by the time others look at them. The purpose of them is to serve me, get things that worked out of my journals and free up brain space. My journals need to travel well, my grimoires need capacity and protection to avoid things like a house fire taking years of work.

[@iyu222]

U are literally me. I get tired easily using books. But at first so motivated ughhh

[@BlueNightt]

I think all of your books are gorgeous! A lot of people think their grimoire/s have to be gorgeous or full but the point is to just get something down! I have a sketch book, a note book, and a post bound book that all work in tandem together as my BOS. One feeds the pretty aesthetic I desire and the other two are junk journals that are just completely spiritually based lol. Thanks for sharing 🥰🖤

[@blu5269]

I love this...we need to step away from trying to make things fit a specific aesthetic. There is beauty in unorganized chaos as well

[@CosmicCroneConversation]

Great. Mine is messy. We dont have time to make it pretty as we are busy actually doing stuff! I think our next video subject will be showing what's in my book of shadows.🎉

[@edafyrekat3676]

Your method with the colored tabs is ✨️brilliance✨️! I have the same struggle. I space pages wrong according to subject and lose all motivation. I am so excited to implement this. Also... 🍃many thanks🍃 for sharing your grimoires. It's cool of you to be vulnerable like that. 💚💙🩵

[@amber_c175]

I definitely feel there is this need for everything to look like a scrapbook and not something you work with...After three years of practicing I've started my first one and my words of advice for anyone wanting something they aren't going to dnf after a few pages is definitely use either Microsoft word or google docs and make it digital first. That way you can make things pretty while also making them practical to use and fit everything to where you want it and even chapter it out if need be.

[@StephTucker-hc8px]

You have no idea how validated I feel right now xD As someone who isn't artistic and who also is slightly perfectionist, thank you

[@TheNorseWitch]

That was the goal! I’m happy I succeeded 🥰

[@marissamaggart8149]

You have no idea how much I needed this lol. Also all you really need for a journal to be pretty is nice handwriting. Which yours is! They're beautiful! Very satisfying to look at from a fellow perfectionst

[@rivvix]

I was using a cheap composite notebook as my grimoire up until I filled it up just a few months ago. I started it like 5 years ago, left it half-finished, and came back to it after 2 years of not practicing followed by a Complete Overhaul of my practice and spirituality. Thankfully, even tho I use virtually none of what I wrote down those years ago, I had the foresight back then to leave a few pages blank at the beginning of the notebook so I could add in a Table of Contents as needed.

[@LapisWalker]

I appreciate your authenticity in your struggles. Thank you for sharing!

[@shinymist]

This was a really good video with a lot of helpful information, I especially enjoyed the tab system you’re using now! The way I’ve solved that is just by having three separate notebooks. One is just for recording workings, if I do it I write it down and date it. The second is only for divination and communicating with deities. The third is a research notebook, for on-the-go things I find related to my practice. I may try a tab system in them now for topics, thank you for the suggestion!

[@alexw6168]

This makes me feel so much better. I've had the same issue of getting overwhelmed for almost 17 years now. Recently it's gotten so bad that I've pretty much went back to the basics and simplified. As ugly as binders are it's been the best for me. Like a 3 ring binder with multiple dividers. Eventually I plan to transfer into a nicer notebook once I'm happy with pages even if they are most specific topics like one for recipes, divination, etc. The other thing I do is just get all the info down on paper and just put it in the binder because then I could always go back later and rewrite and if I never look at that page again I know it's not that important

[@romanawilhelminacrane9690]

I am actually loving the pocket work version of the griomoire the best 🙂I also have a small pocket book cause I travel to the nature to do magic quite often and I need the notes with me always. But I love the idea of color coding in the bigger Grimoire too, thank you for this video

[@sophiahodgson85]

I just want to say ‘thank you’ for being so open about your struggles with trying to keep a grimoire. I had to separate out the ‘Witchcraft 101’ into a Book of Shadows, and spells, incense blends, rituals etc. went in a grimoire that is NOT ‘in order’ in any way, just sort of ‘word vomit’ where I wanted a protection spell I’d put some notes about crystals, herbs, colours, days of the week, then make a more coherent ritual later. But I also will intensively use my BoS/grimoire for a week & then not pick it up for a couple of months so I’m super inconsistent!

[@Voltergeist]

I love this video! Thanks so much for sharing your books! I went from bound books, to binder, back to bound books. I have more than one grimoire that serve different purposes! I have one for communing with my gods, and one for more practical reference I've learned over years, and a Tarot journal. Of course, because I'm an artist, I have a sketchbook, but that's less spiritual and more just art for me..! I think all your grimoires are unique and beautiful in their own ways, you were at different stages and that's really cool to see!

[@Chammychan1]

Thank you for this tip! I struggel with the same problem as you, so I will try this and see if I can be better at it ❤

[@PearlyGirl59]

It's really cool to see your evolution and desire to create a grimoire that really, really serves you. Thanks for taking us on that journey.

[@C.yamashita]

This is lovely! You did a wonderful job. Now I'm dyslexic with a springing of another issue that makes it hard to write and be able to read what i write. I've journaled (now building my witchy little book) and i can't read my writing as i said. So I've come up with my way of doing things. I build and collect my info digitally on the goodnotes app and then i have it there but i like having pages to flip through with my own two hands so i also print it out so i can put it into a small binder.

[@ArcanistOfLore]

I have the exact same problem. I'm a serial abandoner of bound grimoires, and for much the same reason, I need information in a certain order and if something gets out of order I can't keep using it. Eventually I started using post bound grimoires but even that was too much of a pain, even though it's super lovely. So, I have an A5 6ring binder instead. I can change it as often as I like. I make graphics and layouts in Canva and print them out, and then everything looks pretty, and follows a theme, and my brain is much happier. I also have a working book, which is the only place I can write out of order. I scribble down my workings every week and come back once a month with stencils and coloured pens to make it pretty and do an art therapy session. 😂 I'm actually 1/3 of the way through a notebook for probably the first time in 20 years of magic. 💪

[@pyenygren2299]

22:46 Having smaller notebooks to write in sounds good.

[@KitsuScholar]

OMG THANK YOU! I have this paralysis about writing in my grinoire... I have this really nice one but I've never written in it because I'm SO SCARED of ruining it!

[@mushroom.mustang]

this is a great video ! i’m definitely drawn to the idea of an aesthetically pleasing binder; the wood is epic. the color coding is also super smart. cheers 🤎

[@TheCancerMoonMystic]

Thank you so much for making this video 🙏🏼❤️ I’m a 53yr old witch and have haven’t written anything in my grimoire for fear of messing it up. I have tons of post-it notes and pieces of papers that contain my magical recipes, spells and herbal information. It’s all about the aesthetic these days and it discourages me from actually writing in mine. I loved this so much!

[@VicS1942]

Thanks for sharing your grimoires! It's great to see a practical grimoire and to hear your challenges with figuring out what works for you

[@TheMagicalMimi]

Thank you for the suggestion of using tabs. I tend to struggle with things not being in the "right" order and get frustrated. This makes sense in my head and I can get past doing things in order then! Thanks so much!

[@fernthewhimsical]

I cannot write by hand a lot, so I have most of my informational pages digital, which I do want to print out at some point and put in a binder. And then I have my art grimoire, which is what I use for art magic, and making pretty pages that I feel like making. Indeed, do both!

[@KellyLB-d2s]

I use a filofax clipbook. Which is an A5 ringbinder. So I can pull stuff out and insert things as required. I have bad handwriting and spelling.

[@pyenygren2299]

24:55 Number the pages and write down an index.

[@spiritual-wisdom]

I love your first grandma and I think you're a great artist you're just being too hard on yourself

[@Yep6803]

Hi, norse witch here a raethic(tyrrenic, Etruscans)+cimbri(german) witch! I'm so glad to find people who pursuite their culture over a globalized and copy-paste one! Is harded, especially for smallest from Meditteranean(Adriatic)-Alps(Piccole Dolomiti) as for myself but absolutely glad! ❤ Btw, I've got only book of mirror... I need to admit this is the only works with me.

[@dawnthimmesch4035]

Thank you so much for letting me know that I'm not the only one. I feel much better. Dawn

[@venanciafox8765]

As someone with chicken scratch handwriting, I thought your calligraphy was beautiful! 😄💖 I haven't tried it yet, but I heard someone say they wrote on flashcards and put them in a recipe box, and that was their grimoire! Easy to find, easy to replace/change if a spell doesn't work out, and the tried and true notes/spells could be added to a more aesthetic book later.

[@brigittaalbares3417]

Hooooooly crap, the color coded tabs are brilliant! I must start doing this--it would be so helpful since I forced myself to abandon trying to keep my Grimoire organized but now I'm afraid I will never be able to find anything.

[@spiritual-wisdom]

But I do relate to your struggle when it comes to a magical record keeping and books of Shadows

[@kristiharman2843]

I love the idea of the tabs! Such a clever solution. I have the same problems and I'm gonna give the tabs a go in my new witchy notes book

[@julieamber3311]

Love this for me it's me I'm a old grone and have never managed to create a Grimm book Thank you shared lovely lady x

[@NettyRain-cq5re]

I used a binder with plastic sleeve covers for the pages so I can just move things wherever I want to or take things out if they don't belong anymore. Watching this, one thing I will do is label the notes and spell sections separate as I too started putting my notes in mine.

[@21cormorants]

I always find any sketchbook or notebook, etc., that I have “on the go” to be aesthetically disappointing. But when a book is finished, filled up, whether beautiful or not, I find it takes on its own beautiful quality. Or if it’s someone *else’s* book of notes or sketches, it takes on that same beautiful aspect. Any book you use is the right book, any approach you use is likely the right approach. It’ll take on beauty merely the more you’re distanced from investing in its attainment of beauty, I think. When the pressure is removed, the beauty reveals itself.

[@aaronbisnett]

Those are fantastic! I especially love the index page for the third book. Having that solves the mental need to keep things organized.⭐

[@HeronsPond]

I related all you said. Maybe our changing ways and stop to and start methods is the way it should be. Thanks for sharing!

[@LauraSmith-rs8yq]

Thank you so much for making this video. I too suffer from the perfectionist mindset. I have several journals and notebooks and I am so scared to mess up my nice journals and they stay blank. I do have a half sized binder that I am guilty of doing exactly what you did... trying to make it some sort of 101 book. Lately, I have been building a digital resource in my Google files. And I have a spiral notebook that I've do my scribbling version and notes in. I like your idea of tabs and I think I will pick up my nice bound notebooks to keep things they I've actually done. And you are WRONG( LOL).... this was VERY inspiring. :) thank you!!

[@TheOccultist66]

Hi! I know what you’re talking about when you said that you only write on the right side, I do that too.but sometimes we just have to write on the left side because of space. Blessed be 🌒🌕🌘

[@highlanderghost]

Drinking game: every time Bente shows us a page with the elements on it, take a sip. Hopefully we survive the experience. 😅😂 No hate, I really did enjoy this video quite thoroughly. It is so relatable - trying to make it pretty, not wanting to mess it up so just... not doing it, the lack of motivation (dear lord, the lack of motivation), the imposter syndrome. My personal problem is that I go "But its just an art journal. It's not a grimorie! It's not magical at all. It's not actual useful at all." (Complains that artsy witch because she isn't Molly Roberts.) And honestly, the current book you are working on? I think that is very pretty. Maybe it's not the traditional pretty, but I really enjoyed being able to see that one. Very satisfying.

[@pennyrowe9705]

Thank you for making this video! I struggle with perfectionism and a lot of times won't start to work in the pretty book that I bought. Or I'll abandon it after putting in basic stuff like you did. I want a pretty book, so I need to find a way to do that. I like to coffee stain my papers.

[@theacethatskates]

I am irrationally excited for this video 😆 grimoires are so much fun to start and so mundane to finish, at least for me

[@wildandwitchy]

I wish I had your artistic talent. Your drawings are so good! I cannot draw worth shit. This is why I have an ugly grimoire. I don't mind. It only has to be useful to me. I am totally stealing your tabs idea though!

[@Deb_Elle]

I bought a witchy looking binder. It is more like notes about my research topics and I never need to worry about adding more topics. I’m not worried about making it pretty. It’s more for me to learn the stuff I’m interested in without having to find the specific book where I found the info. I have a section on Intentions, Meditation, raising energy, what witchcraft is, why i got into witchcraft and my goals, cleansing, grounding, my lazy everyday practices, the phases of the moon, the steps on how to cast a spell, etc. at some point I will make a pretty grimoire with only the things that works.

[@ashs7522]

I feel like the pretty grimoire to plain notebook pipeline is a canon experience for witches

[@xJadeWolfxx]

I have cute little lay flat notebooks, that were originally "quick notes" books, and they've become more realistically grimoires for me. I do plan on copying things out, but its nice to at least have something written down. They've got all sorts of stuff in them, notes on videos and books, recipes (including recipes given to me rather than ones I made that I then broke down into their alchemical parts to see if I liked them). Spells. Etc.

[@arthurzackaryabrin]

I have a Book of shadows, that is for me, my research written down scrap book style sometimes. If I dont feel like writing something down or drawing it? Printing that out and glueing it in there. Sometimes I make the pages pretty, sometimes I don't. This book is only for me go gather info about all differnet kinds of things I found myself getting interested in, even if I have no intention of ever using it in mybown practice, and be able to look it up from my own research. I have grimoires for multiple topics: Herbs/ Plants I want to work with or already am working with; Crystals and other minerals and metals; and then I have my "beautiful" grimoire, which is currently getting digitally written down, which is gonna get changed depending on what my own practice actually looks like. Aaaaand I have some seperate notebooks which hold my tarot/ divination readings and another for writing down (sometimes) my own sigils, spells etc. A lot if my spells I just do on tbe gly though and don't write them down (curse my AdHD brain for that lmao)

[@alwayscuriousalwayslearnin]

I love the idea of prebound books but myself being a messy writer, although I do love to write, the ideas come in very quickly so it ended up messier than usual I would end up ripping out pages and yes like yourself the topic issue I ended up just stopping and doing my best to keep things in memory sometimes writing things down and trying them out on paper I also put in why as well as how which can make things more messy and of course cramped, just look at when I am typing a message on youtube what starts out as a few lines ends up being a wall of words with grammar spelling punctuation mistakes ,and online usually shows mistakes lol and yes calligraphy I love it but handwriting especially what is now calling cursive handwriting(my favourite writing) is messy my hands are not steady enough even for these simple things to come out clear, could be because they used to smack children's hand (with a ruler) that wrote left-handed forcing them to write right-handed in schools back then . I think just getting things down is all the matters save them in a box and later on if and or when you feel like it comeback with fewer things in the mind and put it all together of course I have tried that and nope not happening, it is nice when I come across such things and realize that I have already adapted them or upgrading them or made it much simpler taking out what really isn't necessary. Being a person that knows (at least for me) of simpler the better less energy wasted... well not wasted removed a few things to use less energy needed and still get the same result and sometimes to do something thing is better, for me, it ends up being either make it look good or functional easier ,is it about me or the spell or what ever is being written down? the motivation thing is a funny thing for me, it comes in spurts and I need to get down the original things before it changes which is why things end up messy because it can come in and then either things get added on while I am writing them down or it will change or both or go in a different direction once I get it all down I go back over it and then get lost in it all trying things out, experimenting adding notes adjusting adapting then poof its gone but at least its down the funny things is that I have tried to just record it but when I do this I tend to lose it because I am fiddling with my cell phone recorder

[@Boi_in_Alberta]

I had been trying to create a grimoire for years. I kept looking for the perfect book, or I would make a mistake and discontinue it because it wasn't elaborate or pretty enough. It was like I was trying to create an art piece rather than a record keeper haha. Perfectionism can ruin so many projects, it can be disheartening. Because I have a tendency to lose things, I eventually settled on a digital one so I have access to it at all times. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one who struggled with such things. 💙💙 I also really hate writing on the left page, I don't know why but I can't stand it!

[@m.m.6670]

I used to be soooo hung up on making my grimoires pretty, I never wrote in them 😂 Then I just admitted I'm never gonna be that person and moved on to keeping a digital grimoire in Notion, where I can attach voice notes, screenshots, illustrations, create databases of correspondences and spells, etc etc. Much more practical for my ADHD brain. AND, best of all, it has a search function 😂

[@Faintly.Macabre]

Thank you for sharing, I appreciate your bravery and honesty.

[@MeadowsOfSound]

We all have that archetype of the perfect grimoire in our back brains, don't we? My fantasy is leather embossed with Celtic knotwork, embellished with silver set with moonstones, and calligraphed on vellum.... Meanwhile, the 15-inch-high stack of dream journaling, that took me two years to boil down to an inch and a half of relevant arcana,, remains unfinished twenty years later. I think it was so hard thatI am STILL avoiding it. And I, too, have multiple false starts on grimoires. But here's the thing: this craft is very intersectional, meaning the information can't always be compressed into a linear format. What even IS a grimoire? The blind copying of cool information from others, that experience over a lifetime may or may not reveal it to be drivel? Is it your student workbook of stuff to memorize until you don't need it? Is it a focused handful of underlying energetic principles to be passed on to the next generation? Or is it an ongoing reference handbook of recipes and correllations and such? And isn't a grimoire supposed to be the very individual contribution of its creator to the Craft, complete with journaling feedback on actual workings, rather than (back to the beginning here), just blindly cpying the beliefs and errors of others? And please realize: as a former literary agent and novelist, and I can promise you, that ANY writing project, even 'zines, will need MULTIPLE rough drafts, not to mention a clear overview outline, so DON'T beat yourself up over false starts!!! Wait until your Crone years to write down what you've learned. ❤

[@jenniferemerson5195]

the way i'm trying to work around my perfectionism is i'm buying calligraphy paper (nice, old fashioned looking, good quality paper) and i'm going to write on there instead of directly in my grimoire. this will prevent me from tearing out pages and it gives me the freedom to make notes/write down what i want without the fear of it being perfect. then, the pages that i'm happy with, i can paste into my grimoire :)

[@jenniferemerson5195]

i also have an online grimoire that acts as a sort of 'database' of my knowledge. my physical grimoire is for the more personal stuff and summarising the information that is most important to me.

[@MoonWolfMate]

Yeah i do put down witchy 101 stuff for anything I've just learned. But I have at the very least been documenting and actual spells I've done (isn't many) but I've at least been doing that.

[@silentm0th]

I have a nice notebook that I don't wanna waste space in so I don't write spells in it until I know they work. In the meantime I workshop

[@PrettyAliceNight]

Nice! I’ve been working on a new grimoire recently too.

[@LarimaBeyondBorders]

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing 🖤

[@kathleenroberts7972]

Thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone and sharing. My issues with grimoire initially was hung up on the definitions of grimoires vs book of shadows. Anyone else go thru this? So I resolved that my book would be both and more. So mine are art work, recipes, spells, collages, cut out articles and more. I al on my 8th one and love doing them so much. Each is about 200 pages. So that brings me to the next issue..where to store them all? And who in the hell wants them when I am gone.grimoires lead me down the rabbit hole..

[@serahphaey]

A Grimoire {or how well it is decorated} does not equate the talent of the practitioner.♡ There is literally no right or wrong when it comes to grimoires. It is a safe space for you to bleed all that is sacred, important, and practical to you. It is your space to create something entirely yours, no rules. It is not a school project. I hope everyone reading this enjoys creating their very own grimoire, in their very own special and unique way!

[@ahkj4]

I really appreciate this video. I am way more inclined to fill up a cheap, boring notebook than to possibly "ruin" a beautiful bound book. I'm learning, my interests change, some areas of study just don't feel like "me", so I abandon them. I can do this guilt free in an ugly notebook. My "pretty" notebooks are almost exclusively used for TTRPG notes these days.

[@worm_vaquero]

I deal with the left hand pages differently, when I finish the book I turn it around and upside down and the left hand pages magically become right hand pages.

[@keithdrummond1003]

Thanks for sharing. Thanks for the advice/suggestions.

[@crystalheart9]

I really enjoyed this video. I always have to use a binder so I can take pages out or rearrange as needed. Also I'm not very neat at writing things down so my pages aren't pretty.

[@Erieswitchcraft]

Happy I found your channel. HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT U SOONER!? lol great video

[@FirestyledSamaurai]

Thank you for being willing to share. I love this. ❤❤❤ I think a lot of is included things we felt we had to.

[@junkjournalsbysarah]

I am new to your channel, and I really love your videos and honest personality!! I find myself saying "yesss" and "me too" out loud repeatedly lol. Your much better and crafty pretty things than you think. I make journals that are called "junk journals" and I would love to send you one as a gift to have as (another) grimoire. It can have removable pages too. ❤

[@TheNorseWitch]

Thank you so much for the offer, but I actually JUST ordered some new notebooks for some specific purposes 🤣 baaaad timing on my end 🤣

[@junkjournalsbysarah]

@TheNorseWitch it's totally OK! I understand for sure! 🩶

[@CamillasChoice]

I also have a huge problem with writing on the left side of the book 😅 I find that using a spiral bound book helps a bit with that, then I can just turn it over 👍 maybe a tip that suits other people as well

[@CamillasChoice]

And also.... it feels heart warming to see someone having the exact same struggles as oneself regarding perfectionism, making things pretty or overly informative... 💖apparently it's very complicated to scribbe 😅I feel ya sister

[@sapiwette]

The embarrassment you feel towards your grimoires belong to you only, and you're allowed to let it go. It doesn't matter if it's not Pinterest-worthy or if it's not full; what matters (in my opinion) is that you have tried. Every notebook or binder you scribbled on is the draft you needed to find the right thing for you, a stepping stone towards a system that works for you. There's nothing embarrassing in trying, quite the opposite!! Also, in my opinion, a page that's written on is pretty and satisfying to see, sometimes much more than pages that are extremely aesthetic and worked on. Idk, I like the mundane and handmade vibe :)

[@DangerNoodlexoxo]

The tabs are perfect!!!!

[@TG-mx5wb]

What a really wonderful record of your growth.

[@CézanneSimons]

Honestly, I feel like notebooks of any sort or form can really be beautiful in their simplicity, such as the grimoire you called ugly. Be a bit kinder to your past work :)

[@mevifae]

This is always just stuff I randomly wrote in my journals or notebooks so I wouldn’t forget any of it but I had no clue there was a name for these types of books

[@christinamaldonado9513]

Is a Gimories like a diary? How do you start one? I'm so new to this and try to study different channels to get as much information as possible, to decide if this is for me. I've always been interested in witchcraft, but never practiced cause of the mean labels from people who call it " Devil worshipping" ( when I hear people say that I say B.S). Now that I'm turning 40 in January, I think it's time for me to try. But this is very interesting. Can't wait for the next one. 😊😊

[@cheshira2646]

@@christinamaldonado9513 A grimoire can be like a diary, or a recipe book, or a record of the spells or readings a person has done- you could write whatever you like in one. Definitely cross-reference things you find on the internet, as there’s a lot of misinformation! Though this channel is pretty good in my experience- pretty quick to debunk common BS. Witchcraft is very cool, but there’s no one way to do it! It’s up to you, to decide what makes sense to you.

[@christinamaldonado9513]

@@cheshira2646 WOW! Thanks for the information. ❤️❤️

[@nessunoassolutementenessun2704]

I also did the same thing! I always started with the runes but run out of motivation half way down...turns out I know the meaning of the first Aettir wayyyyyy better than the last ones LOL my bad