Blessed greetings to all!
Thank you once again to everyone who joined in on last weekās challenge: Kitchen Witchery! A pinch of salt, a sprinkle of herbs, and a little magick intent later- with clean plates and happy stomachs it is time to move on to a new theme. This week, we will be looking far beyond ourselves to enchance our magick with higher powers
The theme for this weekās challenge isā¦
Divine Magic!
This challenge is all about deities, spirits, and connecting with outside forces to strengthen and focus your magick.
There are so many potential gods, goddesses, spirits, and other forces that can be called upon, given offerings to, or worshipped. Dieties appear in various forms and exist in cultural traditions around the world
You may choose to ask for aid in casting, find a connection with a new diety, or simply learn about a being that is interesting to you.
There are so many reasons and benefits to practicing with deities! Tess White Hurst on YouTube talks about the importance of and why it is worth it to connect with divine beings in our practice in Working Your Magic with Deities or Divinities:
For those who have a diety close to their hearts, are searching for a being that calls to them, or are looking to enhance their magick- this challenge is for you!
Are you ready? Prepare your altars, itās CHALLENGE TIME!
STEP 1: Practicing Divine Witchcraft
For those who already have an established bond with a diety, take this time to strengthen your connection with them. Consider:
- Learning more about their story and history
- Taking some time to study their intentions and strengths- what are the best times and ways to call on their aid?
- Making an offering to them or in their name
- Tidying up and/or improve your altar or special space for them
- Adding to their entry in your BoS
- Having a gratitude ritual for them
[Picture from Wicca Magazine: The Greek Goddess, Gaia]
For those who havenāt yet connected with a diety or are interested in learning about new dieties, there are countless gods, goddess, spirits, and other higher powers out there that may resonate with you!
Dieties come in many different shapes and forms. Some take on a human or human-like appearance, while others take on other forms such as those of animals .
[Picture from Weekly Deities: Ryujin: Japanese Dragon God of the Sea]
Some traditions have representative dieties (for example, Selene as the moon), while other paths worship parts of nature directly as they are- such as the general worshiping of the earth or nature.
Key forces in the world can also have different forms in different pantheons. For example, the Greek god Poseidon, the Japanese god Ryujin, and the Irish god Lir are all gods of the sea.
The definition of what defines a deity, spirit, or higher power largely comes down to your own path, tradition, and beliefs!
[Picture from Ancient Origins: Hecate: Holding Court Over Ancient Greek Witchcraft]
When searching for a diety to connect with, there are many things to consider:
- Are you looking for help with one spell or ritual, or hoping to make a long-term connection?
- Do you already have any personal connections (family history, prior experience, a series of ācoincidencesā, etc.) with a pantheon, region, or particular diety?
- Are you searching for a diety who is associated with a particular element, season, symbol, or item?
Owlvine Green on YouTube has a great video to help you figure out Which Diety Should I Work With?
Finding a diety can take some time, and you may want to try to connect with a few before you find the right one .
Some witches find that their deity comes to them in dreams, visions, appears in their animal form, or is seen over and over again in a series of what may seem to be ācoincidencesā.
Others may feel an immediate connection with a diety when researching them. It is possible to change deities or worship several at a time- there is no wrong way to find and connect with a diety, so long as you do so respectfully!
[Picture from Goddess: Selene: Goddess of the Moon]
Donāt know where to get started? Here are a few great places to begin your search for learning more about deities!
Slavic Deities with Linden & Denz Intercultural Institue of Languages
Japanese Shinto Deities (kami) from Japan Talk
STEP 2: Share Your Experience
To participate in this challenge, you must share your experience! You can talk about a diety close to your heart, how you found them, a diety that caught your eye, any divine rituals or spells youād like to share- so long as it relates to diety magick, your wisdom and experiences are very welcome in this challenge!
Please feel free to create a new post in the forums (and donāt forget to mention the challenge!) or write about your experience below!
For all those who deepen their bonds or delve into diety magick, there is a special shout-out and small prize waiting for you!
This challenge will be open for: 7 DAYS!
To join in, please post about your divine endeavors by 5:00 AM CET (Central European Time) on Friday, August 28th!
After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given.
A warm reminder that this challenge is very open- all are encouraged to participate in a way that reflects their unique practice. There are no right or wrong answers so long as you practice respectfully, and there is no way to āloseā the challenge if you participate !
This challengeās goal is to help you help yourself! By learning about and connecting with dieties of your choice, the hope is to both help you further diversify and strengthen your practice, and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another
May your deities always hear your prayers and may you always practice with the love and blessings of higher powers
Blessed Be to All!