Amy Cesari's 2016 self-published hybrid of grimoire and adult coloring book — the term 'Book of Shadows' borrowed from Gardnerian Wicca for a personal magical workbook. The book pairs hand-drawn line art for coloring with prompts, sigils, moon-cycle charts, intention-setting exercises and blank pages for the reader to add their own spells, correspondences and ritual notes. The aesthetic sits squarely in the contemporary witchcraft revival that Tumblr and Instagram drove through the mid-2010s.
Reception
A breakout success in the independently-published witchcraft niche — strong sales through Amazon and witch-adjacent retailers, a series that has expanded across multiple volumes (Spells, Tarot, Witch Life, Plant Magic), and an unusually devoted Etsy-and-social-media community. Reception inside traditional Wiccan and reconstructionist Pagan circles has been mixed: praised for accessibility and as a gateway to deeper study, critiqued by some practitioners for treating Book of Shadows as decorative rather than as a sworn ritual artefact. Outside the witchcraft community the books circulate as part of the broader adult-coloring trend that peaked between 2015 and 2018.
Frequently asked
What is the Coloring Book of Shadows?
Amy Cesari's 2016 hybrid of adult coloring book and personal grimoire. It pairs hand-drawn witchcraft art with prompts, sigils, moon-cycle charts, intention-setting exercises, and blank pages for readers to add their own spells and ritual notes. The "Book of Shadows" term comes from Gardnerian Wicca, where it names a personal magical workbook.
Is the Coloring Book of Shadows a series?
Yes. The original 2016 volume spawned an extensive series including volumes on Spells, Tarot, Witch Life, Plant Magic, and annual magical planners. Each volume follows the same hybrid coloring-and-grimoire format with original hand-drawn art by Cesari.
How is it received within the Wiccan community?
Reception is mixed. The book is praised for accessibility and as a gateway to deeper practice. Some traditional Wiccan and reconstructionist Pagan practitioners have critiqued it for treating the Book of Shadows as a decorative object rather than as a sworn personal ritual record. Outside the Wiccan community it circulates as part of the broader adult-coloring trend.