Editing Book of Shadows (section)

==In British Traditional Wicca==
{{Main article|British Traditional Wicca}}

In forms of British Traditional Wicca, which include [[Gardnerian Wicca]], [[Alexandrian Wicca]] and [[Algard Wicca]], the Book of Shadows used by adherents is based upon that written by Gardner and Valiente.

Although his own book had been put together with the help of [[Doreen Valiente]] and included material from a variety of modern sources, (notably from ''[[Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches]]'' and the writings of [[Aleister Crowley]]) it also included sections written in an antique (or mock-antique) style, including advice for witches brought to [[Witch-hunt|trial]] and tortured. Gardner claimed that these sections were genuinely historical in origin, and that witches had not been allowed to write anything down until recently, to avoid incrimination; when at last Books of Shadows were allowed, the rituals and spells had to be written in a jumbled manner to prevent any non-initiate from using them.<ref name="50YearsBoS">{{cite book |last=Lamond |first=Frederic |year=2004 |title=Fifty Years of Wicca |location=Sutton Mallet, England |publisher=Green Magic |pages=14–15 |isbn=0-9547230-1-5}}</ref> More recent scholars however have doubted their authenticity.

It seems likely that Gardner told his three subsequent initiatory lines that the book should be copied word for word, and Wiccans descended from [[Eleanor Bone]], [[Patricia Crowther (Wiccan)|Patricia Crowther]] and [[Monique Wilson (Wiccan)|Monique Wilson]] have widely believed that the book was of ancient provenance.<ref name="50YearsBoS" /><ref name="50YearsInitiatoryValidity">{{cite book |last=Lamond |first=Frederic |year=2004 |title=Fifty Years of Wicca |location=Sutton Mallet, England |publisher=Green Magic |pages=63 |isbn=0-9547230-1-5}}</ref>

===Contemporary usage===
There sometimes exist two Books of Shadows kept by more traditional Wiccans, one being a coven book of core rituals and practises which remains unchanged and from which new initiates copy, and the second, intended for personal use, which differs from witch to witch and contains magical material collected by the initiate, such as [[astrology]], [[herbalism|herbal lore]], and information regarding [[divination]].<ref>[[Maxine Sanders|Sanders, Maxine]]. "A Talk by Maxine Sanders" part 1, ''Witchcraft and Wicca'' Issue 3, p. 4. London: Children of Artemis.</ref>

===Publication===
After Gardner's death, his rival, [[Charles Cardell]], published much of the material from the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. In the 1970s, the then Alexandrians [[Janet Farrar]] and [[Stewart Farrar]] decided, with the consent of [[Doreen Valiente]], that much of the Gardnerian book should be published in its true form. Much of it was published by the Farrars in their 1984 book ''The Witches' Way''.