Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no secret Pagan bible. There is no hidden book that they all follow, that you can gain access to if you become one of them. It just doesn’t exist.

I’m not sure if it’s because folks have the idea that any legitimate religion would have a book, or the whole Satanist confusion, but there are people who believe we pagans have a bible somewhere that only the initiated will ever see. Myths about it vary from it being filled with dark rituals and instructions for orgies and sacrifices, to it being a tome containing all the secrets of the earth and true white magick. Either way, it’s not real.

Now, many Pagans, particularly witches, do keep a Book of Shadows. (Often referred to as a BoS) This is a personal magickal journal that they fill with all sorts of things they’ve learned in their years of practice. In some covens, there’s a shared BoS, and initiates eventually earn the right to see and use the book, thereby reaping the rewards of the coven’s shared experience. A coven’s shared book is a private thing that no one outside of the coven would be allowed to touch or see. That’s about as close as it gets to them having a secret bible.

*Disclaimer: I no longer practice Paganism, but I’ve left these Pagan Myths articles active because I believe they’re still valuable in helping people to understand Paganism and reduce negative stereotypes.*

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter