Hmm, another question

1) yes, i don't use it cause I can't remember what it means later

2) It is hard to be solitary, but you have as much success solitary as you do in a coven (in my opinion)

3) I think so

What your doing is 'perfect' keep going. The alphabet is yes for secrecy once upon a time, you can still use it for that or not your choice. You are the magic, the only difference would be is if you did it with someone else ( the power of 'two', NOT three this is NOT charmed ) Lastly would 'you' want someone to 'make ' you do something against your will ??

let me clear something up for you. "Book of Shadows" is a new concept (less than 100 years). It was suggested by Gardner (founder of Wicca) that it was a common practice and he recoined this word (it had been used before for the title of another author's book--I can't remember the name off the top of my head). ANYWAY, the grimoire is far older. It is a "how to" or a spell/ritual book, with informative content that would in essence, be able to be handed down to others. Most witches, like many cultures and subcultures, passed down their information through oral tradition, and spells were memorized. This was most common during the witchhunts. Writing down such things would have been physical evidence of their practice and a discovery of their sacred and secret ways.

Since most people who walk a magick path have more freedom to practice without fear of being tortured and killed for it (mind you I said "most") people write their own notes, spells, and reference material in any manner they wish.

I personally do not write diaries. I will write down rituals I have done, the date I did them, who I did them for, and how it worked out. These are personal notes for myself. I also write information and personal theories and discoveries. In a separate book I write all recipes, referrence material, and practical spells and rituals that is a shared "family" book. It has information that is not so personal and it is meant to be used for the entire household.

You're not obligated to write in any way you don't want to. You don't need to label it anything at all. I refer to mine as "my book" and the other one, "the family book". I do however suggest that you use a binder. I've found its the best because I can organize it better and make it easier to find things.

"It was suggested by Gardner (founder of Wicca) that it was a common practice and he recoined this word (it had been used before for the title of another author's book--I can't remember the name off the top of my head)."

According to Doreen Valiente he found the term in a magazine referring to a Sanskrit document regarding divination through the studying of shadows. She specifically reports that he found it in 1949 so we can officially say that the Book of Shadows, as a pagan/Wiccan concept, is 63 years old this year.