🌑 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE- Magick in the Dark

Challenge Extended!

For those planning their New/Dark moon magick tonight timed with the moon phase, please know you have an extra day to process and share your experience.

The new deadline for this challenge is: Wednesday, December 16th

Happy Moon Magick! :sparkles:

A warm welcome to all!

Congrats once again to the wondrous weavers who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge- Of Spells and String :yarn:

After spinning spells and weaving our wishes into being, it is time to turn off the lights and look into the darkness- of not just the night, but within ourselves too :eight_pointed_black_star:

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

:sparkles::new_moon: The New Moon- Magick in the Dark :milky_way::black_circle:

While most witches will agree that the full moon is when the moon is at its most powerful :full_moon:- the period of the new moon is a bit more ambiguous :new_moon: :face_with_monocle:

The significance of this phase varies from witch to witch, and many around the world approach their new moon practices in various ways:

  • Some practitioners see the new moon as one phase equal to all the others in the cycle of the moon. They will do special spells and ritual work that draws on the magickal properties of the new moon :sparkles:

  • There are also those who see this time as a period where the moon is absent. Under the darkness of the night sky, they may focus on shadow work or dark magic :black_circle:

  • Others may choose not to practice at all- for some, the new moon is a period of rest. It can be a peaceful time to reflect on the events of the past month and to look ahead towards the coming weeks :relieved:

With the light of a Waning Moon blessing us throughout this week, we will experience a New Moon on Monday, December 14th! :spiral_calendar:

Now is a great time to take a deeper look at this interesting period in the moon phase cycle and examine how both the waning moon and the new moon fit into your own magickal practice.

Are you ready? Because it’s… CHALLENGE TIME! :bellhop_bell:

STEP 1 : To Magick or Not to Magick without a Moon :new_moon:

Before you dig into working new moon magick (or choosing not to work magick during this period) it is a good idea to take a deep look at your own personal practice and find how moon magick resonates with you.

Once you determine what this phase is calling on you to do, feel free to celebrate, cast, reflect or rest to your heart’s content!

For anyone not quite sure where to get started, here are some great resources to guide you in this period of darkness:

[[ Waning Moon Magick ]]

No need to wait for the new moon! Until early next week, we will be blessed by the Waning Moon- a time when the light of the moon is slowly decreasing in the sky.

Note : To check the exact phase of the moon according to your location, visit the Spells8 Lunar Spell Page.

Waning-Moon-Magick-Ritual-Ideas

There are many possible ways to draw on the energy of the waning moon. Check out Waning Moon Magick Spells for more info, printable pages for your Book of Shadows, and a list of spells appropriate for this period.

[[ New Moon Magick ]]

Next Monday, December 14th will offer a dark night sky. During this time, you may choose to delve into some exciting new moon magick :sparkles:

New-Moon-Ritual-Ideas

The New Moon Spells and Rituals Page has more information and a list of recommended spells for this special time :new_moon:

[[ Shadow Work ]]

What is “shadow work”? The Shadow Spell for a Lunar Eclipse sums it us as the following:

In the context of the Craft, “Shadow work” is generally considered as any meditation/ritual/magic that forces us to confront the darker, hidden parts of ourselves.

This could be traits that you see as evil and bad, to traits at are annoying, shameful, or pathetic. But the shadow doesn’t have to be only unpleasant parts of your personality. It could be that which has been hidden, not allowed expression, pushed below the surface.

Your shadow might contain positive qualities that you’re not owning, in addition to negative ones you’re not acknowledging.

[From the Spells8 Lunar Eclipse Ritual]

Shadow work can be a very beneficial aspect of magick, but proceed with caution- it involves faces your buried fears and may unearth some dark emotions.

Helpful guides to shadow work (and how to stay safe while casting) can be found in:

For those that love journaling, there is a Printable Page for Shadow Work:

Shadow-Work-Moon-Journal-Spells8

And @SilverBear has a wonderful Shadow Exercise that is a guided meditation into shadow work:

[[ Rest and Reflection ]]

After a month of hard-worked magick, the new moon offers a respite. Take some time to tidy up your altar or work space. Consider meditating or spending time to journal your thoughts.

The new moon offers a breath of fresh air and a relaxation of expectations. Make this time a special time for you!

[[ … And more! ]]

Have another way to celebrate the waning or new moon? The ideas here are merely suggestions. Feel free to let your creativity soar! :dove:


STEP 2 : Share Your Experience :writing_hand:

No matter how you choose to tackle this challenge, you must share your experience!

Please write about:

  • your experience with magick during the waning/new moon :sparkles:

OR

  • your decision to rest/reflect during this time :relieved:

For your entry to be counted, please write about your experience in the comments below and/or create a new post in the forums.

If you create a new post, please tag the challenge by adding a hyperlink back to this post - thank you! :bowing_woman:


:exclamation: This challenge has been EXTENDED :exclamation:

To join in, please share your experience by 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time) on the NEW DEADLINE: Wednesday, December 16th!


:gift_heart:

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and a small prize! :gift:

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums on Tuesday.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given.

:gift_heart:


A warm reminder that all challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that reflects their unique practice :open_book:

If you have any doubts about if something is acceptable to post or say, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to a moderator.

For those new to challenges, know that these activities are designed to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another in creative ways :hugs:

In the darkness when the moon is out of sight, have no fear- let your magick be your light!

Blessed be :sparkling_heart::new_moon:

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This New Moon is also an eclipse I believe, in Sagittarius.

I’ve heard of various opinions in regards to working with the moon while in eclipse. I can’t say that I have worked with that energy myself, at least knowingly. I am always curious to hear from others who have though!

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This is perfect and also another synchronicity because I’ve been kicking myself in the butt trying to get my book finished – my book on shadow work :sweat_smile:

I already have an idea of what I’m going to do for this one. I live in the darkness.

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I love working with the new moon. :new_moon: It’s always in the middle of the day (For me, the new moon will rise at 7:55 AM and set at 5:16 PM.) and it allows me to honor The Lord and The Lady at the same time. In my spells, I acknowledge I can’t see her but I know her power is still there. I will wait until Monday to do this. :slight_smile:

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Oh this one is very interesting. I think I am going to do some shadow work. I’m trying to evolve into a better version and learn more about myself and my needs. I have a couple of big things on the horizon and I want to be as ready as possible. Im excited for this weeks challenge ge. I am getting ready for bed now, but tomorrow I think I am going to check out the links on shadow work and the guided meditations from @SilverBear

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Definitely an interesting challenge and one that I’d like to participate in! I’ve been reading quite a lot of articles on the site lonerwolf.com relating to shadow work and finding my true nature, and I’ve been getting some results already!

For those who enjoy doing personality tests, they have a page with plenty of them at https://lonerwolf.com/tests/ ! Tests are a pretty good place to start and can reveal surprising things about yourself, both strengths to build on and weaknesses / mental scars to work on. Especially with the latter it’s essential to be gentle, loving and patient with yourself, and have an open and accepting mindset. Imagine doing mental surgery on yourself, you definitely don’t want to be using a hammer for that! :joy:

I’ve also discovered that I’ve been intuitively practicing mirror work quite a lot, in the form of talking with myself through the mirror and giving myself/ourselves positive affirmations :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: When the affirmations are genuine and repeated, it can do wonders on one’s self esteem and self image!

Dark moon is also something connected with Hekate, developing and maintaining my relationship with her on those nights is a habit I’m getting into, that might also be something to do for this challenge :new_moon:

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I just took a look and you are absolutely right, @Janelle! The solar eclipse will happen in Sagittarius on the same day as the new moon (Monday, December 14th) and be visible in certain parts of the southern hemisphere.

Adding to the possibilities for this challenge will be: Lunar Eclipse Magick! There’s a link above in shadow work, but I’ll add it here too:

Lunar-Eclipse-Candle-Ritual-Magick-750x500

Perfect- thanks for pointing this out, Janelle! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Hooray for more synchronicities, @MeganB! :raised_hands: Seems like all the signs are pointing to shadow work- can’t wait to see what you do!

This is such a great way to celebrate a new moon that happens during daylight hours- I love this, @praecog29! :sun_with_face::new_moon: Wishing you a blessed celebration and I can’t wait to hear how it goes :blush:

It sounds like shadow work can help you uncover things within yourself and help you reach your goal, @Susurrus! The guided meditations are a great way to delve into shadow work- enjoy! :grinning:

I agree, @CelestiaMoon- answering the questions for the personality tests forces you to look inward and find answers about yourself that you normally wouldn’t question. And I know many people here enjoy these kinds of tests, so thank you for sharing! :pray:

Hekate is a wonderful diety to dig into shadow work with- enjoy! :two_hearts::old_key:

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I will be sitting down to focus on some shadow work right after I finish the kitchen. It’s really not much in there to do, but I keep finding things around the house that also need to be done or someone calls me… neverending distractions around here today.

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I’ve been a little absent lately - sorry folks, my mind has been all over the place! So I’m having a good cleanse and reset with the Waning Moon I took some time yesterday to clean and declutter my sacred space, I’m planning a spiritual detox bath for tonight and this New Moon definitely calls for this gorgeous 7 day gratitude spell - I love working with roses so it’s calling to me :heart: will upload pics!

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I feel you girl! I’m always discombobulated after traveling, especially after the holiday’s.

I have always wanted to do a birthday ritual, I’ll be 30 tomorrow, but my mind is all over the place. Keeton just left for his two week work cycle so it’s my daughter and I, my Soul Sister will be hanging too. I figure I should just do something simple but I realllllly wanted to do something elaborate for the last day of my 20’s!

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Happy Birthday for tomorrow @janelle! A day with friends is always special. I have no idea how to suggest you make it elaborate though. Mainly because of all the ideas I have would either take money or a lot of work. LOL. Anyhoo, happy birthday!

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HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY @janelle ! I hope you have a wonderful day.

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Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day & the Universe is good to you!

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I sat down to try to focus on Shadow Work… listening to the words of wisdom from @Francisco et al. It is something I have not indulged in - at least not the formal format ascribed to in that particular process, BUT I have spent years searching the dark recesses of my own id and ego just so I can gain intuition into the social cues of others. However you choose to journey through that mental forest I recommend it to everyone. It is an ongoing exploration that I hope never ends -as long as I have breath -and then maybe even beyond that.

That said… I choose to spend my new moon days in gratitude to you all. We are a diverse group. We live in different time zones, come from a variety of countries and even those of us from the US are separated by distance, social custom, topography, climate and time. That is only naming superficial differences. I suspect we are also a rainbow of dots on the polarizing political spectrum and spiritual associations. I personally don’t care about that. Well I do… but I don’t want it to be an overlay to the joy I get being with you all.
WHAT I LOVE is that whether you speak with authority and conviction or with gentle inclusivity you all have something vital and meaningful to teach, and I am a grateful student for it all. We are all products of our experiences. We come through them changed, molded and shaped. Some come through a little more rigid, brittle, or fragile. Some with wisdom, clarity, and temperance, Each perspective is correct for that person. Gleaning lessons from two distinct vantage points gives perspective that no one life could teach.

In summary,

I value you all.
I am grateful for you all
I thank you my dear teachers
I am so happy to be sharing a little of life’s journey with such wonderful companions.

In the dark
There is no time
In the dark
No last or prime
In the dark
All colors merge
In the dark
emotions surge
In the dark
Light comes from within
In the dark
Only thoughts therein
In the dark
All shine
All shine

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@berta @Susurrus @Amethyst Thank you ladies!

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My experience with shadow work for this new moon phase? Well, tonight I have completed the Wiccan Self Initiation to complete myself as a witch. I’ve done quite a few spells but I was really waiting for my wand to come in before dedicating.

Considering how dedication is a very personal and deeply emotional experience, it actually felt right to do during the waning moon and because I have to take a close look at my inner self, I believe it is a valid entry for shadow work.

I was going to dedicate myself to a star goddess, but I wasn’t sure what her name was so I instead just did what was simple and dedicated to the God and Goddess. When I first came into this stuff, I was hesitant dedicating to the two primary deities of Wicca because I wanted something more unique for myself. I have since found that I have plenty of uniqueness in my Craft that makes me stand out in a number of way. Plus, the God and Goddess have been kind of growing on me a little and I feel like I should give them a chance.

I don’t have statues of the deities, I just lit the two candles to represent each one. I would definitely like to have more neat stuff like statues in here though.

Instead of pouring the water from the chalice out in the morning, I’m going to do that tonight. :slight_smile: I feel like it suits me better.

It has been roughly a year since I started into Witchcraft, so this dedication feels right on time. I look forward to seeing my spells enhanced further by my dedication.

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@colin that sounds perfect! Congratulations on finishing your studies and doing so much work on yourself.

I found the statue of Brigid on Amazon, I love her and she is on a shelf with some shells, crystals, and other jar spells that I have done. It works out well for me that way.

I believe that if it feels right then it is perfect for you at this time. You’re doing great!

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That sounds like a great plan, @Susurrus! Good luck with the kitchen and your shadow work :grin:

Welcome back, @Limeberry! That sounds like a lovely plan- treat yourself, girl! Working with roses is a delight and I can’t wait to see how the spell and bath work out for you :bathtub::rose:

So exciting, and such a great plan- Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday @Janelle! :cake::partying_face: It’s your special day so be sure to treat yourself! Sending big hugs and lots of love :heart:

You chose a lovely way to bring light to the darkest time of the month, @Berta :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I am constantly amazed by your many creative talents and this time you blew me away with your words! I can feel your warm intent lighting each and every phrase here. Reading this brought such a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing your positivity, love, and gratitude- I feel so blessed to be able to experience your warm heart! :hugs::sparkling_heart:

Congrats, @colin!!! :partying_face: That is so exciting you finished the Self Initian Ritual- well done! You have been working hard to find your own way and it is so heartening to watch you gain confidence and stand strong on your unique path. One year behind you, so many more to come! Congrats again- and love and light to you! :candle::two_hearts:

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Thank you so much for that lovely poem @berta! We’re grateful for you too! You’re words and craftiness add so much to the group. It wouldn’t be the same without you!

Congratulations @colin! For doing your self-initiation! That takes a lot of courage when you’re facing your shadow.

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PDF format → What does this moon bring_.pdf

I’m going to do a ritual bath - clean slate both mentally and physically…

It is believed that as the moon grows, that your intention or wishes will too. Typically they will come to fruition by the time the moon completes its cycle and returns full circle to new again.

What you can do:

Take a ritual bath. Water symbolically washes away “old” stuff.

Use some Epsom salt and lavender!

Dim the lights, light an incense, add some candles, and play some soothing music and relax for about 15- 20 minutes.

While you are relaxing, envision the water taking all the negative stuff from you. Don’t be afraid to fully submerge yourself - clean your slate both physically and energetically.

I will then make some moon cookies, some hot cider, use the image above to answer some questions, do a tarot spread, and enjoy some bay leaf burning!

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