Book of Shadows

The Book of Shadows, often just referred to as The Book, is the magical tome of the Warren Line of Witches. It is the most powerful and coveted of the Books of Shadows in the whole world and is over 300 years old. The Book has been passed down every generation ever since it was created by Melinda Warren in the 17th century.

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

History
The Charmed Ones' book was started by Melinda Warren, who began the Warren/Halliwell line of witches, with the year "1693" written on its cover page. This actually creates a small discrepancy 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 later. Although it was fairly small then, each succeeding generation of Warren witches had added onto it, including information that they came across and felt necessary to be journaled. One of the earliest entries that was around when Melinda was alive included a curse, and possibly the entry which details the coming of the Charmed Ones, through carvings, (mentioned in Something Wicca This Way Goes...?), though this could've been done by a future descendant. After Melinda was burned at the stake, the Book passed to her daughter Prudence, and was passed down throughout the generations.

Penny Halliwell often noted that she created most of the potion recipes in it (as Evil Witch Vanquishing Potion), and the only other entries we know for a fact that she wrote was the entry on the Necromancer, The Ice Cream Man and Gammill, The Collector. She wrote possible the Belthazor Vanquishing Spell, Upper Level Demon Vanquishing Potion and the spells To Increase Patience, To Unbind a Bond and To Bind.

Patty Halliwell added text on Barbas, the Demon of Fear, and also, the page on how to properly raise and nurture magical children. ("Happily Ever After," "From Fear to Eternity," "Reckless Abandon")

The Charmed Ones themselves have added information, spells and potions, as well, for future generations. The first entry they made themselves was "Woogyman Spell", or how to banish the Shadow of the Nexus. Phoebe 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. Phoebe also wrote an entry on the warlock Anton. ("Is There a Woogy in the House?," "Pardon My Past," "Look Who's Barking," "Necromancing the Stone")

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 put in to teach future witches about the personal gain consequences; or as to they served a magical purpose to deal with evils of the time.

At the end of the series, Piper, Phoebe and Paige 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," logging information about whitelighters and how to properly use their powers, for his sons, Chris and Wyatt, just in case he wasn't around to teach them, himself.

Brad Kern has stated that when a Warren/Halliwell witch dies, their magic is ingrained within the Book. He says that when the sisters die, they, like their ancestors, will essentially become a part of the Book, so to speak.

He goes on to say that he believes the Book to be a living entity within itself.

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 the Book laying aloft the table top; it can be assumed that the sisters retire from their demon hunting and their progeny continue the Charmed Ones' destiny.

Appearance
The Book of Shadows is very large, about the size of a dictionary or encyclopedia volume. It is bound in green leather, the front cover has a symbol composed of an interlocking triquetra and circle on it, symbolizing the Power of Three and the Warren/Halliwell Family of Witches. Despite being three hundred years old, the book is actually in very good condition, although the pages have yellowed somewhat with age.

The book is written by hand in ink. Entries have their titles in elaborate multicolored calligraphy. The book is written by the whole Warren/Halliwell line, throughout the generations, and possibly by also very close friends. The book contains many illustrations, chiefly of demons and other magical creatures. Most of the book is in English, but some of it is in Italian and Latin.

The book's organization is haphazard at best. The sisters remarked on several occasions that they searched "the entire book" when looking for specific information. This suggests that the book's previous owners simply filled in the pages sequentially rather than arranging the contents topically. (Given that the Book of Shadows is a collaborative work with contributions by generations of Warren and Halliwell witches, topical organization was likely a practical impossibility).

Notable Entries

 * The book's first page was the Dominus Trinus spell: which allowed the Charmed Ones to receive their powers by midnight under a full moon. ("Something Wicca This Way Comes")
 * Patty wrote in an entry on Barbas, the demon of fear, to guide her girls through the day, and encourage Prue to embrace her love for other people again. ("From Fear to Eternity"). She also wrote a page on the proper way to nurture magical children.
 * An entry on the witch Nell, and how she trapped the warlock Malcolm in a painting in the 1920s is completely in Latin. ("The Painted World")
 * Phoebe has written a spell to banish the Woogyman ("Is There A Woogy In The House?"), an entry on the warlock Anton and a page about Cole to warn future witches of him. ("Look Who's Barking")
 * A spell to banish a "Suxen" ("Nexus" spelled backwards) written by the Elders long ago in case they lost control of the Nexus. (Something Wicca This Way Goes...?)
 * Leo Wyatt, fearing he may not live to see his two sons grow up, wrote an entry "Tips for Future Whitelighters" on how to use whitelighter powers and general advice on charges. ("The Seven Year Witch")
 * Piper, Phoebe, and Paige wrote down paraphrased stories of their adventurous years to pass down to the next generation. ("Forever Charmed")
 * It is presumed that the sisters occasionally wrote about their experiences after vanquishing a demon, dealing with a ghost or other magical being. In some episodes this is hinted to be true like when Billie says she's been studying the Book. ("Run, Piper, Run") She knew how the sisters once used the help of a ghost, Charlene Hughes, to scare a pawn broker to confess to a murder ("Ex Libris"), and also learned about Grams' ring which turned Phoebe and Piper, in two separate occasions, into "Bewitched"-style housewives.
 * Phoebe says in Unnatural Resources, that the Book is three times the size it was when they inherited it, meaning that the sisters have indeed added a great amount to it.

Powers and Abilities
The Book of Shadows, is also notable because evil cannot touch it, thanks to the shielding & sensing powers it is blessed with. Nor can it be taken out of the Halliwell Manor, except by the sisters, good magical or non-magical being. This is particularly important, as many evil beings covet the book, and the Charmed Ones would be much weaker without its knowledge. Although it is protected by good magic, evil has found a way around this and captured the book several times.

The Book is tied very closely to the Charmed Ones' powers. For example, when Rex Buckland blackmailed them into giving up their powers, the Book turned blank after they cast the Relinquishment Spell. However, when Leo healed and restored the Book, their powers were restored as well. ("Wicca Envy") Though, when the Angel of Destiny offered to take away their powers in the Season 4 finale, Witch Way Now?, he said the Book would not be harmed, and would pass down to a future descendant.

It can be presumed that its magic varies indifferently when it is passed on from one generation to the next, depending on its new master's magical state.

Also, if one of the Charmed Ones turns evil, the other two will turn evil as well, and the evil will flow through the Book (although in later episodes, when one sister has turned evil, the other two did not succumb to it). Dantalian, a high-level demon priestess, realized this, and tricked Prue into marrying a warlock, Zile, turning her evil. As expected, this turned Piper, Phoebe and the Book evil as well, enabling her to briefly get the Book. The plan backfired when evil Piper and Phoebe vanquished Zile, breaking the evil bond and restoring the Book to normal. ("Bride and Gloom")

In season four, in the episode Hell Hath No Fury, Paige tried to copy the book, but because of its protection power every page came out blank.

The Book has a different protection mechanism against evil, when someone tried to take it in several episodes; jumping off the stand in Once Upon A Time and The Seven Year Witch, repelling the being away from the Book in Death Becomes Them, a spherical shield around the Book in Death Becomes Them, burning the user's hands in Imaginary Fiends, and so on.

In Thank You For Not Morphing, an evil shapeshifter is able to touch the book and take it as far as the front door before it repels itself from his grasp. In future episodes, it is established that it is impossible for evil to even touch the Book. In this episode, however, the Charmed Ones' magic was not strong enough for its full protection to be activated.

For a demon or half-demon to be able to touch it without triggering its defensive properties, the being must have pure good intentions in his heart. According to one of the videos below, the magic the book possesses came from the deceased family ancestors who then become part of the book, which is presumably how it became so powerful throughout the centuries.