Tree of Life & Triquetra Leather Journal, 4.5" x 6.5"

The Tree of Life is one of the oldest images we draw, its roots in the depths and its branches in the heavens, the trunk standing in the world between. This 4.5 by 6.5 inch aged-leather journal carries the tree in colored leaf across the cover, with triquetras set among the branches and a latch to hold it closed. Inside are unlined pages, ready for free-form writing and sketching.

It is made to become a Book of Shadows: the working book where a practitioner keeps spells, rituals, correspondences, dreams, and the turning of a practice over the years. The tree and its triquetras make a cover about growth and connection, a fitting face for work that builds over time.

Key Features

• Tree of Life and triquetra design. The tree rendered in colored leaf with triquetras worked among the branches, on an aged-look leather cover. The art is the heart of the book, for practitioners drawn to the tree's themes of growth and connection.
• Aged leather with latch closure. A leather cover with an antique look and a latch to keep the pages closed at home, in circle, or in a travel bag.
• Unlined pages. No ruling, so you can write in any hand, draw sigils and diagrams, or press herbs flat between the leaves.
• Compact 4.5 by 6.5 inch size. One of a family of leather Tree of Life books in the shop, which also includes a 5 by 7 inch Green Tree of Life and a large 10 by 13 inch lined edition, so you can match the size and ruling to your practice.

Product Details

• Dimensions: 4.5" x 6.5"
• Unlined pages
• Aged-look leather cover, Tree of Life in colored leaf with triquetras
• Latch closure
• Sold as a blank book for writing, drawing, and ritual record-keeping

The Spiritual Significance

A Book of Shadows is a witch's working book, and despite the old-world weight of the name it is a fairly modern tradition. Gerald Gardner's mid-twentieth-century Wicca formalized the practice, with each initiate copying rituals and lore by hand into a book of their own. Its ancestors are the older grimoires such as the Key of Solomon, but the idea of a personal, hand-kept book of one's craft belongs to living modern witchcraft.

The Tree of Life appears in culture after culture, a sign of how deeply it speaks to people: the Norse Yggdrasil whose roots and branches bind the worlds, the Etz Chaim of Kabbalah mapping the descent of the divine, the crann bethadh of Celtic lore. In each it is an image of interconnection and growth, the living link between earth and sky, root and crown. The triquetras set among the branches add the old trinity knot, a single line with no beginning or end, an emblem of three things held as one. Together they make a fitting cover for a practice meant to grow and connect over time.

How To Use

1. Cleanse it first. Pass the cover through cleansing smoke or leave it in moonlight overnight to clear the handling it has been through before it becomes yours.
2. Dedicate the first page. Write an opening dedication, naming what this book is for and the growth you mean to track in it.
3. Keep your craft in it. Record spells and their results, ritual outlines, correspondences, dreams, and the questions you are working through. A Book of Shadows is most useful when it is honest.
4. Tend the book. Close the latch to keep it shut, store it away from damp, and condition the leather occasionally so it lasts as long as the practice it holds.

Pairs Well With

• Steampunk Pen and Calligraphy Set: a dip pen for writing entries with more ceremony than a ballpoint allows.
• Dragon's Blood Ink by Espiritu, 1 oz: the traditional red ink for consecrated writing, sigils, and petitions in the book.
• Parchment Paper by Espiritu, 3" x 4": loose petition and spell papers to write and tuck between the pages.
• Sage and Frankincense Smudge Stick: cleansing smoke to consecrate the book before its first use.
• Celtic Tree of Life Amulet: the same tree and Celtic knotwork worn or hung by the altar, tying the book to the rest of your practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between this and the large Tree of Life Journal?

This is the compact 4.5 by 6.5 inch version, with a colored Tree of Life and triquetras on aged leather and unlined pages. The 10 by 13 inch Tree of Life Journal is a large book with 360 lined pages, made for long writing at a desk. There is also a 5 by 7 inch Green Tree of Life in between.

Are the pages lined or blank?

The pages are unlined, with no ruling. That leaves you free to write in any hand, draw sigils and diagrams, or press herbs and petals flat between the leaves without lines getting in the way. If you prefer ruled lines, the large 10 by 13 inch edition is lined.

What size is it?

It measures 4.5 by 6.5 inches, a compact size that slips easily into a bag for circle or travel while still giving you room to write. The latch keeps it closed while it moves.

What do the Tree of Life and triquetra mean together?

The Tree of Life is an image of interconnection and growth found across many cultures. The triquetra is the trinity knot, a single unbroken line that stands for three things held as one. Together they read as a cover about connection, growth, and things bound without end.

Do I have to use it as a Book of Shadows?

Not at all. It is simply a beautiful blank book. Many keep it as a Book of Shadows or grimoire, but it works just as well as a dream journal, a tarot diary, a sketchbook, or an everyday journal for someone who loves the symbol.