I can’t vouch for the “Shadows” part of the title because I have never known Taoism to be associated with darkness/shadow. On the other hand, a reference to jade is definitely Taoist. But together, there’s just something amiss; the title is, to my mind, almost incongruous. It is like saying “clear cloudiness.” (Jade is associated with real knowledge, and shadow/darkness sometimes means the total absence of this knowledge.)

Yet this is your book, so please take what I say with a grain of salt! I will not be offended in any case.

Peace

Aalar

Aalar, how about “The Book of Jade Shadows”?

The concept I’m trying for is very much like a Book of Shadows, but the Jade would imply the Taoist flavour?

I don’t know anything about the real “Book of Shadows”; however, the compendium of meditation exercises you aim at creating sounds a lot like the Taoist book “The Secret of the Golden Flower.”

Generally speaking, Taoist meditation is associated with inner alchemy, and inner alchemy in turn is usually associated with the word “gold.” For example, there is much talk (at least in Quanzhen Taoism) of the “gold elixir,” “gold pill,” and (as above) “golden flower.” Moreover, darkness/shadow is sometimes associated with the human mind operating in isolation of the mind of Tao, and this “darkness of unknowing” is to be refined away through a spiritual-alchemical process. So, I think a reference to gold, rather than to shadows, would be more fitting for the title of your project.

But then again, more than just Taoist meditation is to be included, if I have understood you correctly. Hmmm… in that case, “gold” may not be appropriate, since that would imply a limitation to Taoist inner alchemy. Perhaps “silver,” “emerald,” or “jade” would suit the project better? (You could call it “The Book of Emerald Dreams,” for example.)

Just some thoughts.

By the way, nice blog! =)

Aalar