THE EVER CHANGING BOOK

[Scott]

The Book of Shadows is central to the mythology of Charmed. Yet, in a very real sense, it remains a mystery. Grams marvels at how the book has grown from the time when she was its keeper. Melinda Warren, too, is amazed at its thickness. Yet, the book itself remains forever in flux. Its content changes. Desecreations are removed. The book lives on.

In one sense, the Book of Shadows is simply an historical document. In another sense, it is a living, breathing entity that serves, on the one hand, as a portal for Grams, presumably the ancestral watcher of the Charmed Ones, to influence and guide the Charmed Ones. On the other hand, the book's contents are subject to constant change.

Ripping an entry out of the book does not mean the spell or vanquish is gone forever. It can reappear at will. The same must be true of the Grimoire, or the pocket version of the Grimoire that Bianca uses in Chris Crossed. Bianca rips a removal of inhibition spell from the grimoire to have with her when she casts a spell to temporarily distract the Charmed Ones from focusing on Bianca. Yet, that spell must reappear in the grimoire later, for an older Bianca must know of its existence, something a younger Bianca would have never known or would have forgotten. Defacing the Book of Shadows, as Piper, Phoebe and Paige did from time to time, has no lasting effect either, as the book is able to cleanse itself of defilement.

[Scott]

Another line of argument examines the Book of Shadows with respect to the side of Good. The Elders are certainly aware of its existence. Indeed, they even know (some of) its contents. Elder Sandra alerts the Charmed Ones to the "How to Vanquish a Suxen" spell that is contained in the Book of Shadows. The sisters use this spell to destroy the Nexus and vanquish Zankou in one fell swoop. This particular Book of Shadows seems to contain everything that Good is capable of doing. It is a repository for everything that Good knows about Evil. Thus, it seems fair to say that the Book of Shadows is more than an historical record passed down from one generation of Warren Witches to the next.

On the other hand, as Leo advises Billie during Season 8, Billie should begin her own book of shadows since seemingly nothing has been passed along to her from her ancestors, not all of whom had a witch's powers. (See Mr. and Mrs. Witch) In this tome, Billie is advised to write down all of her experiences, the demons encountered and the spells and potions used to vanquish the demons. This presumably is what Melinda Warren started. At some point, however, her book of shadows became much more important for it would become the counterpart of the evil Grimoire, the repository of all demonic powers and incantations.

[Scott]

Ljones openly questioned Charmed's apparent lack of clarity with respect to key aspects of the Book of Shadows. She pointed out:


The writer's use of the Book of Shadow seemed to have been mired by inconsistency since Day One of the show. On one hand, we're told that generations of witches with the Warren bloodline have contributed to the book. Yet, the Book of Shadow included entries on such personages as Belthazor (who has never had a previous encounter with a Warren witch before - as far as the show has revealed), and the Stillman sisters (why these three dimwits are in the Book, is beyond me). And why did Grams bother to teach the Woogeyman vanquishing spell to the sisters, instead of simply entering it into the BOS? I never understood that. One last question, how would previous Warren witches know whether a spell is a Power of Three spell or not?



Vandergraafk agreed and added the following:

Unfortunately, well said. I say unfortunately since it would have been nice to have the concept of a Book of Shadows worked out well from the beginning. For me, someone who knows next to nothing about witchcraft but who could imagine that practicing Wiccans have potion and spell books to which they add, change and perhaps remove entries, it would have been helpful to have a clear understanding of the Book of Shadows and the role(s) it would play in Charmed.

As you indicated, there is no such clear and unambiguous explanation. This shadowy compendium is ever changing from perhaps multiple sources with new entries appearing as needed and abused entries (Belthazor) being cleaned up, etc. Thus, it is understandable when the sisters complain about the lack of an index. How could there ever be an index or even a table of contents if its contents are ever in flux?

For anyone, I suppose, who is a practicing Wiccan, this whole Book of Shadows stuff much seem as just so much nonsense, some fluff pasted into a show whose creator may have had only a passing familiarity with witchcraft. At least, that's the gist of what I get from Keith Topping in his excellent compendium Triquetra, a book that actually provides some of the background to writer Constance M. Burge. The WB wanted something to complement Buffy. Ms. Burge wanted to write for a show about sisters. The result: Charmed.

[laiste]

I don't agree with ljones at all on this! it is a MAGICAL book! We SEE it getting written in by unseen hands. How is it a surprise that the information that they need is there when they need it? If it really is Goods equivalent of the Grimorie than it stands to reason that it would be updated by spirit as needed. It isn't perfect because the spirits (be they Grams or other warren ancestors, or the Elders) aren't omniscient.

You are right that it doesn't compare to a real wiccan book of shadows- but this show has never been about that. At least I have never thought so.

We don't know that the book repairs itself when defaced do we? Did we ever see a page post defacement in another episode?

Besides, Grams didn't so much teach the girls the woogeyman spell as include it in a story to help calm Phoebe's fears. If she did teach the spell on purpose it makes sense really because the wogeyman/ nexus was the only evil entity the girls were likely to accidentaly stumble on.

[vandergraafk]

Well, I am forced to conclude that the Book of Shadows must be able to correct itself from defacements because Piper really messed it up in Hell Hath No Fury and Phoebe did a number on the Belthazor entry. When the book is flipped through later, there is not even a hint that it has been tampered with.

[shkifi]

ON JULY, 1ST GRANDIOSE OPENING OF MAGNIFICENT SITE REPLICA CHARMED BOOK OF SHADOWS.COME ON THE SITE WILL NOT REGRET:

pagesfromtheshadows.freeoda.com/

[Scott]

Thanks for the info.