Dominus Trinus: the first entry in the Book of Shadows. This spell, unknowingly cast by Phoebe when she first found the book, unbound the sisters' powers and began their Charmed legacy and destiny. [3] Without the Book of Shadows, there wouldn't have been a Charmed ." —John Krechmer, a producer, discussing the Book in the Book of Shadows Documentary

In the Book of Shadows Documentary, it was stated the book is a crucial part of the show, which is why in the series premiere, the trunk where the book was stored lit up, the thunderstorm became more intense, and the chandelier in the foyer rattled when Phoebe invoked the Dominus Trinus. The book has a different protection mechanism against evil. In several episodes, various effects resulted from an evil magical being tried to take the book for themselves, including: 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", projecting a spherical shield around the Book in " Death Becomes Them", burning the user's hands in " Imaginary Fiends", and so on. Since it was inherited by the Charmed Ones, the book has grown three times its original size. [7] This means that the sisters themselves have added a great amount of spells, potions, and notes to the book, possibly more than any other generation as a result of the sisters possessing the Power of Three. They also occasionally wrote down their experiences after vanquishing a demon, which Billie mentions this when she studied the Book of Shadows. [8] Some notable entries include:Penny Halliwell often noted that she created most of the potion recipes in it (as Evil Witch Vanquishing Potion), though the only other entries we know for a fact that she wrote were the entries on the Necromancer, the Ice Cream Man, Gammill, The Collector, and Eames. She also possibly wrote the Belthazor Vanquishing Spell, Upper-Level Demon Vanquishing Potion and the spells To Increase Patience, To Unbind a Bond, To Bind, To Call the Halliwell Matriarchs and Nicholas Must Die. Many of the spells in the book require the Power of Three to be effective and were written before the arrival of the Charmed Ones. It is possible, knowing of the prophecy of the sisters, that the Warren/Halliwell line wrote these spells in preparation for the arrival of the sisters. Cole's Human Form: written by Phoebe, the entry lists Cole's favorite things and very little useful information. Phoebe wrote the information in the Book of Shadows should he ever try to charm the future generation. This entry is reminiscent of Grams' notes on The Necromancer. [10] Props master, Roger Montesano, said in an article of Charmed Magazine that Connie wanted the book to be bigger but he worried that the actresses would have a hard time carrying the book around. There was an original pitch that a spirit would be contained in the Book that would assist the sisters causing spells and information about demons to appear.

Weakening the Charmed Ones by killing close friends/innocents then guilt-tripping them by making them undead beings It can be presumed that the book's magic varies as it is passed on from one generation to the next, depending on its new master's magical state. 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, allowing their progeny to continue the Charmed Ones' destiny.The Book of Shadows in Season 1 was stitched/traditionally bound but was later changed so that it would be easier for the artists and the prop department to handle. The Final Entries: written by Phoebe, Paige, and Piper, respectively, these entries paraphrased stories of their adventurous years to pass down to the next generation. [12] The Book of Shadows it is known for the fact that it cannot be touched by evil, this is thanks to shielding and sensing powers with which it was blessed. As a result of this blessing, the book cannot it be taken out of the Halliwell Manor unless it is in the possession of the Charmed Ones, good magical beings, or non-magical mortals. This is particularly important to note, as many evil beings covet the book, both because of the power it holds and because taking it would make the Charmed Ones much weaker and more vulnerable. However, despite the fact that it is protected by good magic, evil has still managed to find ways around this and have captured the book several times. Tips For Future Whitelighters: written by Leo Wyatt when he feared that he might not live to see his two sons grow up. The entry teaches how to use Whitelighter-powers and gives general advice on how to help their charges. [11]