The Gardnerian Book of Shadows by Gerald B. Gardner

Gerald B. Gardner (1884-1964) was an English occultist, writer, and folklorist who was crucial in popularizing and formalizing modern Wicca. He claimed to have been initiated into a coven of witches in the New Forest region of England. He drew upon various esoteric and folkloric sources to craft the rituals and beliefs that became the basis of the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition. The "Gardnerian Book of Shadows" was handwritten by Gardner and contains a collection of rituals, invocations, poetry, and magical practices used within his coven. It focuses on the worship of a dual deity—the God and Goddess—and includes rituals for sabbats (seasonal festivals) and esbats (lunar rituals). The book also emphasizes the practice of witchcraft in a coven setting and the importance of initiation and secrecy. Due to traditional Wicca's secretive and initiatory nature, the "Gardnerian Book of Shadows" contents were kept initially private and only shared with initiated members.