Book of Shadows

**Notice:** This **article** uses content directly taken from the Book of Shadows **article** at the Charmed Wiki, and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

## Book of Shadows

* Old Book
* New Book
* Future Book

### Description

* A big tome with a purple cover, two markers, and a gold Triquetra symbol on the front.  (New Book)
* A big tome with a green leather cover, two markers, and the Triquetra symbol on the front.  (Old Book)
* A big tomb with a dark purple cover, two markers, and a silver Triquetra symbol on the front.  (Future Book)

### Usage

* Informing the owner(s) on demons and other magical beings, aiding them with spells and potions and other useful information about the craft.  (Old, New, and Future Book)

### Creator(s)

* Warren and Anderson witches  (Future Book)
* Paris Turner  (New Book)
* Melinda Warren and Liliana Anderson  (Old Book)

### Owner(s)

* The Warren/Anderson Line of Witches  (Old, New, and Future)

### Powers

* Force Field  (Old, New, and Future Book)
* Sensing  (Old, New, and Future Book)

**The Book of Shadows**, often just referred simply as the Book, or the *Halliwell/Anderson Book of Shadows*, is the magical tome of the Warren and Anderson Line of Witches. It is the most powerful and coveted Book of Shadows in existence and is over 300 years old. The Book has been passed down every generation ever since it was created by Melinda Warren with the help of Liliana Anderson in the 17th century.

Besides information about the craft, the Book contains many entries on several beings from the magical community, including demons, warlocks, and other evil beings. It also contains many spells and potion recipes, most of which were written by Penny Halliwell and Mal Anderson.

## History

The Charmed Ones' book was started by Melinda Warren and Liliana Anderson, the progenitor of the Warren/Halliwell and Anderson line of witches, and is dated with the year "1693" written on its cover page. This actually creates a small continuity error within the series, as Melinda is known to have died in 1692; however it is possible that she created the book, and her daughter Prudence started adding to it after her death along with Emma and Amelia Anderson. Although it was fairly small then, each succeeding generation of Warren and Anderson witches had added numerous pages to it, including information that they came across and felt necessary to be recorded for future generations of Warren/Halliwell and Anderson witches. Among the earliest entries added to the book when Melinda was alive is a curse, possibly along with the entry which details the coming of the Charmed Ones in woodcuts (which is mentioned by Phoebe in Something Wicca This Way Comes...?), though this could've been done by a future descendant. After Melinda was burned at the stake, the book first passed to her daughter Prudence before then being inherited by each generation of her descendants.

Penny Halliwell often noted that she created most of the potion recipes in it (as Evil Witch Vanquishing Potion), though the only other entries we know for a fact that she wrote were the entries on the Necromancer, the Ice Cream Man, Gammill, The Collector, and Eames. She also possibly wrote the Belthazor Vanquishing Spell, Upper-Level Demon Vanquishing Potion and the spells To Increase Patience, To Unbind a Bond, To Bind, To Call the Halliwell Matriarchs and Nicholas Must Die. Mal Anderson has known to help Penny create spells and potions to the book.

Patty Halliwell added text on Barbas, the Demon of Fear, as well as the page on how to properly raise and nurture magical children.

The Charmed Ones and Penelope have also added a significant number of pages to the book, including information, spells, and potions for future generations of good witches. Piper added notes on the Charm of Confidence after her first attempt at casting the spell on a nervous and insecure waiter at Quake backfired as a result of her doubling the ingredients. The first spell they added themselves was "The Woogyman Spell", or how to banish the Shadow of the Nexus. Penelope also added a page on Cole Turner, Belthazor's human half, including personal information like his favorite food and hobbies; "anything that could help future witches" after he'd broken her heart. This was reminiscent of the alterations Penny made to the Necromancer page, adding such things as "likes Clarke Gable movies" to aid in her getting over the end of their romantic relationship. Additionally, Phoebe wrote an entry on the warlock Anton. Prue added her own Animal Conjuring Spell before her untimely death. *("Is There a Woogy in the House?," "Pardon My Past," "Look Who's Barking," "Necromancing the Stone", "Sympathy for the Demon")*

A few spells in the Book of Shadows are used for personal gain. No explanation has been given to why such spells would be in the book, but it's likely that these spells were added to teach future witches about the consequences of personal gain, or because they served a magical purpose to deal with evils of the time.

Many of the spells in the book require the Power of Three to be effective and were written before the arrival of the Charmed Ones. It is possible, knowing of the prophecy of the sisters, that the Warren/Halliwell line wrote these spells in preparation for the arrival of the sisters.

At the end of the series, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Penelope added their own entries regarding what they've been through in their years as the Charmed Ones in order to pass down the knowledge to future generations. *("Forever Charmed")*

Leo added the entry titled, "Tips For Future Whitelighters", which detailed information about Whitelighters and how to properly use their powers in case he wasn't around to teach his sons Wyatt and Chris himself.

At the end of the series, when we are given a glimpse into the future, Wyatt and Chris Halliwell can be seen making a potion with Paris and Phoenix Turner writing in the book. It can be assumed that the sisters retire from their demon hunting, allowing their progeny to continue the Charmed Ones' destiny.