1. How to Use a Bullet Journal as Your Book of Shadows

This is Part 1 in this Blog Series about Setting Up and Using a Bullet Journal as Your Book of Shadows

Here are links to the rest of the posts in this series:

How to use a Bullet Journal as your Book of Shadows

How to Start a Witchy Bullet Journal (even if you’re not arty or organised)

Witchy Bullet Journal Spread Ideas for Beginners: Simple Pages to Start With

Witchy Goal Setting in Your Bullet Journal: A Practical, Magical Approach

Witchy Trackers, Planners & Collections: How to Use Your Bullet Journal Without Burning Out

Preparing Your Bullet Journal as a Sacred Book of Shadows: Creating Space for Your Magic

There’s also a FREE Printable Guide to Using a Bullet Journal as Your Book of Shadows, more details at the end of this post.

✦ What Is a Book of Shadows? (And Can It Really Be a Bullet Journal?)

I’ve kept a journal for over thirty years. The format has varied along the way — I’ve filled spiral notebooks with scribbled dreams and ideas, made art journals layered with glue and petals, and kept tarot logs in the backs of boring-looking planners.

I’ve been witching for almost as long as I’ve been journaling. So it was almost inevitable, really, that these two paths would merge — that my journal would become my spellbook, my tracker, my confidant. Not just a record of my mundane life, but of my magical one too. (For me, the magical and the mundane are not separate, but form the warp and weft of existence.)

For the past few years, I’ve used a bullet journal as my Book of Shadows — and while it may not look like the glowing, embossed grimoires from movies and TV shows (remember that glorious book in Charmed?), it’s far more powerful in practice. Because it’s mine. It’s practical. It’s personal. It evolves with me. And it works.

A bullet journal Book of Shadows is practical magic at its best.

In this post, I’ll share exactly why this system has become the anchor of my spiritual practice — and how you can begin one too.

But first, let’s clear up some language — because if you’re new to this world (or to blending these worlds), you might be wondering:

✦ What’s the Difference Between a Grimoire, a Book of Shadows, and a Bullet Journal?

A Grimoire

Traditionally, a grimoire is a reference book of magical knowledge — spells, rituals, correspondences, herb lore, and so on. Think: neatly written calligraphy, esoteric illustrations, carefully structured. More like a personal encyclopedia of magic. Some people keep their grimoires “clean” — only finalised, proven spells or wisdom go here.

A Book of Shadows

This term became widely known through Wicca, but has expanded over time. A Book of Shadows is often more personal and evolving — a mix of reflections, ritual logs, lunar tracking, spiritual insights, dreams, and intuitive notes. Less fixed, more fluid. More about your lived experience than just reference material.

This is why I tend to call my journal a Book of Shadows rather than a grimoire — but honestly, it doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s how you use it that’s important.

A Bullet Journal

A bullet journal (or BuJo) is an organisational system that uses page numbers, an index, and simple symbols to track tasks, events, and notes. Invented by Ryder Carroll, it’s flexible and open-ended — you create your own layouts, spreads, and systems. Many people use it for productivity or planning, and it’s great for those purposes.

But its real power? It can become whatever you need it to be.

 

✦ So… Can a Bullet Journal Be a Book of Shadows?

Absolutely. And personally, I believe it’s the ideal format.

It’s adaptable, creative, and practical. You can weave together your spiritual life and your everyday one — moon rituals and meal plans, tarot pulls and to-do lists, goddess altars and grocery runs — all in the same sacred container. You can keep it bare bones or get really arty.

It’s not about impressing anyone. It’s about remembering yourself.

Whether you’re:

• A seasoned witch looking for a more grounded system to hold your practice

• A journaler who feels the pull toward magic, lunar cycles, and the divine feminine

• Or someone somewhere in between, just starting to gather threads

This practice meets you where you are — and then deepens, page by page, moon by moon.

 

✦ Why a Bullet Journal Works So Well for Magical Practice

For me, the beauty of this practice lies in its integration.

When I open my bullet journal, I’m not choosing between the magical and the mundane. I’m letting them sit side by side — as they do in life. My tarot spread might be nestled next to a meal plan. A ritual log might follow a to-do list. One page holds my dreams. The next, my deadlines.

It’s a sacred container for the wholeness of my life.

And unlike pre-printed planners or leather-bound spellbooks, a bullet journal evolves with you. There’s no wasted space. No set layout. You decide what goes in and what gets left behind. Which means you can change it — moon by moon, season by season, year by year.

There’s also a practicality here that’s worth naming. When your journal becomes your Book of Shadows:

• You use it more

• You find things more easily

• You actually see your spiritual practice unfolding, day by day

This isn’t about aesthetics (though it can be beautiful). It’s about building a living relationship with your magic.

✦ What Can You Include in a Bullet Journal Book of Shadows?

There are no rules — and that’s part of the magic. But here are some ideas and spread types that I’ve found useful over the years. You might include all of these, or just a few to begin with.

✧ Foundational Spreads

These are the ones I set up at the start of a new journal or a new moonth:

• Word of the Year — A guiding theme, spell-word, or focus

• Card of the Year — A tarot or oracle card drawn to illuminate your path

• Goddess of the Year — A divine presence that steps forward to walk with you

• Moon Tracker — Phases, emotional shifts, rituals performed

• Cycle Tracker — For menstrual cycles or energy rhythms (or both)

• Year-at-a-Glance Spread — Sabbats, eclipses, key intentions

• Intentions & Soul Goals — Gently named desires or invitations for the coming year

These can be as simple or as expressive as you like — a few words in pencil or full-page collages. Follow your own rhythm.

✧ Monthly & Weekly Spreads

These act as both magical anchor and everyday map:

• Monthly title page — with a quote, sigil, or visual motif

• Moon phases and key astrological notes

• Monthly tarot or oracle pulls

• Habit or energy trackers

• Focus for the moonth (e.g., healing, creativity, deep rest)

• Field notes from rituals, dreams, or seasonal walks

• Weekly or daily logs that blend the sacred and the practical

Some months I fill pages. Some I don’t. That’s okay. The journal adapts.

✧ Ritual Logs & Reflections

You can create dedicated pages to record:

• New and full moon rituals

• Spellwork — what you did, how it felt, what followed

• Seasonal celebrations or altar setups

• Dreamwork, divinations, or significant signs

This is one of the most valuable parts of the practice for me — because it lets you track your magic over time. You begin to see patterns, repetitions, and deepening.

✧ Grimoire-Style Pages (or collections, in Bullet Journal speak)

If you like to keep reference material close at hand, consider including:

• Tarot card meanings (especially personal interpretations)

• Moon correspondences

• Herbal allies and their uses

• Crystal notes

• Deities you’re working with

• Prayers, chants, or spells

Some people collect these at the back of their journal for easy access. Others intersperse them throughout. There’s no wrong way.

✦ Begin Where You Are

This is your Book of Shadows. Your story. Your spellbook.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. In fact, you won’t know exactly what you want to include — or how you want to lay it out — until you begin.

That’s part of the magic.

Just like in witchcraft, so much of this is experiential. You learn by doing. You begin with a simple spread, a scribbled note, a tarot pull at the kitchen table — and over time, your journal begins to reveal what works for you.

You’ll try things that don’t quite fit. You’ll skip days. You’ll create spreads that feel awkward or incomplete. And that’s exactly as it should be.

This practice is a gentle invitation to step away from perfectionism and into flow. To release the need to “get it right” and instead trust the process of becoming.

Because this isn’t just a system. It’s a living relationship. With yourself. With the sacred. With the cycles that move through and around you.

So begin imperfectly. Begin with curiosity. Begin in the middle, if that’s where you are.

Try this:

Open to a fresh page.

Write today’s date.

And ask: What’s stirring in me right now?

That’s where your magic lives.

And your journal is ready to hold it. To hold YOU, as you walk this path. 

 

✦ Are You Starting Your Own Witchy Bullet Journal?

I’ve created a beautiful, practical guide to help you begin — whether you’re brand new to bullet journaling or looking to weave more magic into your pages.

Using a Bullet Journal for Your Book of Shadows is a free printable resource that walks you through the basics and gives you a little bundle of cut-and-stick elements to help you get started.

It’s gentle, non-prescriptive, and rooted in real practice — just like your magic.

You can download it for free here. https://www.jessicaandthemoon.com/products/using-a-bullet-journal-for-your-book-of-shadows-a-free-printable-guide-to-begin-your-witchy-journaling-journey

Warmest Blessings on your path

Jessica