The Book of Days: Magic Rooted in Place and Time
A few days ago, I announced my intention to create my own Book of Days. You can watch and listen to what I had to say in the video below. (This blog post continues below the video.)
The title, Book of Days popped into my head, and I decided to run with it, whether it was the right title or not. I was thinking of my Mom’s letters from home when I was in the Navy — letters that described the daily goings on and included little tidbits of interest — whatever caught her eye. These letters were like mini-diaries from home. I was thinking of Books of Shadows and Grimoires both published and unpublished, and I was thinking of the religious documents that tracked the many holy days, saints days, and church seasons. I was thinking of the old Farmers Almanacs I’d seen over the years.
Also on my mind was how easy it is to look outside our own little space for excitement, peace, spiritual notions, wisdom, and magic. I was thinking about my spiritual quest, which has led me far afield of the places my feet have actually been planted in. I have sought and found magic, connection, and wisdom all over the world. Now, I’d like to focus on discovering it right where I live.
The Book of Days Project…maybe I should call it the Wyrd Book of Days Project…is being born out of my own strong desire to root in place. I am a witch and an animist (among other things), but I have never REALLY rooted into the land I was living in. While my spiritual path has long been nature-inspired, it has never actually been grounded in PLACE. For my last little bit of time on this planet, I’d like to focus on finding the magic right here - in this place and in this time. I want to fully immerse myself in the seasons, get to know the furred, feathered, finned, and leafed folks around me, and find the stories that have been written and those that lay hidden under carpets of pine needles.
Maybe this is a silly idea. I mean, look at the world we live in right now. It’s crazy out there. There are seriously terrible things happening, and nothing feels particularly safe or stable. Perhaps the idea of grounding into place - of looking closely right here and right now is a foolish diversion when so much is wrong with the world.
Perhaps.
Or maybe not. Maybe rooting into the magic of our own place and time is exactly what we need to stay grounded and nourished enough to take on the greater challenges that are oh-so-evident in our world today. Could it be that taking a few minutes (or hours or whatever is available) to jot down what the Earth is up to outside your front door, comment on local happenings, scribble a spell or a story, or sketch your cat lying in the window might be medicine for the ills of the world and the vitamins needed to stay strong for the fight? I’m almost 100% certain that this is true. Almost because how certain can we really be about any given thing REALLY?
I’d like to invite you on this journey with me. You don’t have to be a witch. You don’t have to consider yourself an animist. You don’t have to be anything other than your own observant, sweet, magical self. This is an invitation to grow curious and to record your curious discoveries. It is an invitation to discover your sacred magic right in your own home, yard, and mind. And it is an invitation to enter a Circle - a Circle of Curious Observers and Dedicated Recorders of Place and Time and Dibs and Dabs of Things.
You might be wondering — assuming this idea interests you at all — how to get started. Here’s the easiest answer — grab a notebook and start jotting. Notice that I said, “Grab a notebook” and not “Buy a fancy diary or journal”. While it’s true, you can create your Book of Days in anything you’d like — including a fancy diary or datebook — you don’t have to. To get rolling, you could simply write some notes on the back of an old napkin. You could also grab a cheap, lined composition notebook from the drugstore, open a multi-media or watercolor notebook, or make your own book - junk journal style. Make it fun for yourself, and make it doable. My experience is that if I tell myself something has to be perfect, special, or costly, I just put off doing it.
Okay, so you have a notebook. Now what? I have a couple of thoughts to share.
First, consider taking a look at Hillman’s Hyperlinked and Searchable Chambers Book of Days for inspiration. Do note that Chambers Book of Days was just one guy’s undertaking. It’s not an example of HOW it must be done. It’s an example of how it has been done. It is colored by the author (a white dude), the time (1800s), the place (Great Britain), and the religious and political overtones of that time and place. Your Book of Days is going to be a different animal entirely.
Now….if Chambers didn’t hit the mark (or even if he did), I’ll share what I’ve done so far. I didn’t set out with a bunch of preordained rules or even much of a structure. I started with an idea that I hope will help me deepen my connection to the land I live on, my own brand of magic and spiritual leanings, and will also give me space to play and explore various art tools and techniques. As I’ve been going on the past few days, an organic structure has started to appear. Here’s what my Book of Days contains so far:
The date and day of the week, (written in English and Swedish)
The phase of the moon and the zodiac sign it’s hanging out in.
A little notation of the observed season. Right now, I’m naming the current season Green Season based on the fact that green is the predominant color all around me. Today, I also noted that it seems to be the clover-browning season.
A noted “day in history” from Maine or from this specific area if there is one. (Today, in 1872, John Blontel of Thomason, Maine received a patent for a doughnut cutter)
A rune for the day and a few notes or the rune poem
Recipes
Sketches of critters or plants around my area and bits of folklore attached to them
Random notes from things I’ve researched or found interesting
The high and low temperatures for the day
Notes about things I’ve done or things that have happened (like the raccoon trying to gain entry into the kitchen)
Personal Spells and invocations
I know myself. I know that this Book of Days will evolve and change over time. The organic structure may feel stale in a month or so. If that happens, I’ll shift. My only goal is to observe and record…to root and to ground. I’d love to have company in the practice.
If you’re feeling inspired, why not join me for a free Tea and Talk this Saturday, July 13th at 3:30pm Eastern (US/Canada)? We can talk about the project, what it might look like for you, and what it could be like to be in a small Circle of Curious Scribes (or whatever name sounds the niftiest and describes a cluster of curious folks observing and recording in their own Book of Days).
Register for the call HERE.
