Book Of Shadows

Origin
Melinda Warren began the Book of Shadows in the late 17th century.

When Melinda was burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials, she claimed that the magical powers of each successive generation of witches in the family would grow in strength, until the book reached three sisters known as The Charmed Ones, who would be "the most powerful witches the world has ever known". Melinda passed the book on to her daughter, Prudence, and it continued to be handed down from mother to daughter over the following centuries.

When the family relocated to San Francisco, in 1906, and built Halliwell Manor, the Book Of Shadows was kept on an alter in the attic.

When Penny Halliwell died of a heart attack in 1998, the Book passed to her three granddaughters, Prudence, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell. These were the three sisters that Melinda Warren had foretold of.

The Halliwell family
The Halliwell sisters added several entries over the following years. The first, added by Phoebe, was a spell to banish the Woogyman. Phoebe added a detailed entry on Cole Turner, Belthazor's human form, and Prue added a spell to summon him in his demon form, as well as an animal conjuring spell. Later, at the end of the series, the sisters write in the book about their adventures.

Leo Wyatt, Piper's husband, also added an entry titled "Tips for Future Whitelighters", fearing he may not live to see his sons grow up. The entry included information on white lighter powers and advice on using them.

Powers, abilities and uses
The Book Of Shadows has the following: Due to the Book's link with the Halliwells:
 * It can be used as a means of communicating with deceased family members.
 * The Book identifies and protects itself from evil in the form of a magical barrier and also cannot be removed from the Manor by anyone other than the Charmed Ones or their family.
 * The Book can't be photocopied.
 * It can lose its entire content if all the Halliwell sisters are stripped of their powers.
 * Its spells will become their evil counterparts if the sisters turn evil.
 * If the sisters are under emotional distress, the Book's power to protect itself from evil is diminished.