🌌 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Astrology: Reading the Skies

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Warm greetings to all!

Many thanks again to all those who shared their light in last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge- Into the Light :white_heart: !

With our own magick shining brightly within us, it may feel as though we carry the blessings of the stars. This week is all about proving that to be true! :sparkles:

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

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:milky_way::telescope: Astrology: Reading the Skies :sparkles::scroll:

What is Astrology?

"For centuries, humans have looked to the heavens for guidance.

Astrology is, put simply, the study of the correlation between the astronomical positions of the planets and events on earth. Astrologers believe that the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the time of a person’s birth have a direct influence on that person’s character.

These positions are thought to affect a person’s destiny, although many Astrologers feel that free will plays a large role in any individual’s life."

From CafeAstrology

Astrology is all about looking up to the skies to see deep within yourself.

You can pursue astrology to learn more about your personal traits, seek guidance, and even as a form of divination to predict the future :crystal_ball:

Whether you have been reading horoscopes for years or have yet to learn your sun sign- this week’s challenge is all about exploring how you can use astrology in your magickal practice :milky_way:

Are you ready? It’s… CHALLENGE time! :bellhop_bell:

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PART 1 : Signs in the Stars :telescope:

There are so many ways you can study and implement astrology in your magickal practice.

The following are just a few ways you could explore astrology for this challenge.

:exclamation: For complete beginners to astrology- it is recommend you start by finding your Zodiac sun sign :sun_with_face:

:wheel_of_dharma: Learn About the Zodiac

In Western Astrology, the Zodiac is a series of 12 “signs” or constellations. Each of the 12 signs is a constellation that can be found in the sky :milky_way:

In addition to the Western Zodiac, there is also the Chinese Zodiac. Rather than being based on constellations, the Chinese Zodiac is based on 12 animals from Chinese legend. You can learn more about differences between the two Zodiacs in Astrology: East and West.

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Origin of the Zodiac Symbols

As for the Western Zodiac, it will be good to begin by learning about the 12 signs. You can find more information about each, as well as some history being their significance, in Francisco’s post Where do Zodiac Symbols Come From? 12 Signs and Their Origin.

The Zodiac Symbols is available as printable pages to add to your Book of Shadows or Grimoire :open_book:

Zodiac-Symbols-Meanings-BoS-Spells8

:sun_with_face: Find Your Sun Sign

Your sun sign in the Western Zodiac depends on your date of birth. It is easy and quick to find in Megan’s post here:

You can also find your sun sign based on the dates in the Zodiac Wheel- available as a printable page for your BOS or Grimoire :open_book:

Zodiac-Wheel-BoS-Page

:crystal_ball: Explore Horoscopes

“Horoscopes” are predictions made based on your sign. As most horoscopes are based on sun signs, once you know yours you will be able to easily navigate predictions about your future! :sun:

Horoscopes are often published in newspapers, magazines, blogs, and websites. You can read general horoscopes or hire a specialist to do a reading for you. Note that horoscopes can be daily, monthly, yearly, or life predictions- something good to keep in mind as you consider your reading!

Here are some free resources where you can find your horoscope:

:milky_way: Dig Deeper Into More Signs

You may be surprised to find that your sun sign isn’t your only zodiac! While your sun sign references where the sun was when you were born, you can also explore your other signs: such as your moon sign, rising/ascendant sign, Houses, and more!

Here are a few places where you can go to dig deeper:

:sparkles: Zodiac Magick Meditations

Draw on the zodiac- whether it is a zodiac of your sign or the zodiac of the season with some Spells8 Zodiac Meditations:

Guided-Zodiac-Meditations-750x500

As we are moving into Gemini Season, consider doing a Gemini Meditation:

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:thinking: Debate Astrology

Some people love astrology while others are more skeptical. After cross-checking a few horoscopes, examining your natal chart, and doing some deep thinking- you can ask yourself some thoughtful questions.

In your personal practice, is astrology just for fun? Something to turn to for guidance? An identity? Perhaps simply a cool way of looking at the stars?

For this challenge, it is perfectly okay to express how you feel about the field of astrology- whether you love it or can’t stand it! :+1:

:raised_hands: …And More!

Feel free to pursue this challenge in a way that feels right to you- let your creativity shine brightly!

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience for a Prize :writing_hand:

All witches are welcome to join the challenge by practicing magick in line with the current theme. For those who don’t feel comfortable sharing, it is absolutely okay to follow the challenge but keep your entry personal. Feel free to join in spirit and do what feels most comfortable for you! :blush:

That being said, please know that if you would like to receive a prize and a shout-out, you have to share your experience with the forum.

Please share:

  • About your experience with Astrology

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 will close in 6 DAYS :exclamation:

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, May 25th at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time Zone)
( 2021-05-25T05:00:00Z )

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and the 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: :gift: :gift_heart:

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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 the goal of these activities is 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:

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May the stars, planets, and great celestial heavens above shine brightly down upon you- illuminating your future and the good things to come

Blessed be! :milky_way: :heart:

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Also, I get my Moon Reading here…

https://www.moonreading.com/horoscope/?reset=yes

I find it more accurate than my sun but I know you have to look at it all, as a whole.

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I like this one :grinning: It’s one of the areas I struggle to retain information on. I think I’m going to find out all of my signs for this one and see if it changes how I perceive myself or the Universe :heartpulse:

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Thank you so much for this link :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: and my moon sign is Aquarius :aquarius:

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You’re absolutely welcome :relaxed:

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Thank you for this. My Moon sign is Pisces. I know I did a full astrological chart years ago but no idea where it went…

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Perfect, I am reading about how astronomy and astrology affected the lives of Filipinos before colonization occurred and how stars were used as a guide for not only daily life but also for the planting and hunting season @BryWisteria , It should be challenging & fun for me to put selected deities and stars used for such seasons and daily lives in modern times in a poem involving them (if any of the other practitioners or Babaylans ever chooses to turn the entire poem into a song, I’d let them long as it’s written work is accredited back to me)

"Stars and Man

History tells us that the people of our ancient past had a very strong connection to all the elements that composed nature; from the movement of animals, changes in the color of the sky, and plants. This gave them an uncanny wisdom to make meaning out of their lives by providing order and understanding in the environment surrounding them. Despite being millions of light years away, stars assisted our ancestors in creating a connection between celestial events and human affairs – helping them become one with nature, and perhaps the universe itself" - https://www.aswangproject.com/stars-eyes-ancient-filipinos/

Blessed Be,
Margaret

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Astrology is my :star: nemesis :star: :laughing:

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https://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php

Here’s a link to find your birth chart :chart_with_upwards_trend: :relaxed::heart:

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Oh this is great because the book I am reading is about Astrology for the Book Club & I :heart: learning more about it. This is a great challenge for me! Oh I don’t know what to do first! Thank you! :heart:

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I remember I looked at my natal chart for the Star Magick challenge. Not sure what to do for this one. Maybe check my horoscope?

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Thank you, not show what am going to do yet but I will come up with something :thinking:…

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Hello, it’s Jeannie!

I am reading a really good book on divination and the moon by Cassandra Eason!
We touched a little about how the Egyptians worshiped the sun! Most sun signs are masculine! I am ready to learn everything under the sun and the oomph of the solar system! When the sun has not emerged it may mean that your dreams didn’t come true but don’t get angry try to use the moon’s energy intuitively than the driven masculine side to emerge in! (Cassandra Eason)
The Moon is that feminine power! There is Power in the moon! What lately has been calling to you? Listen to the inner voice, for me, I hear that channeling energies is a thing!
My inner voice tells me to try it! I should listen to that inner voice! I hear it’s like a muscle I heard that on (Witch in the Workings)!
Mercury- Roman winged messenger of the Gods Hermes who was the son of Jupiter! Mercury is also the smallest planet is nearest to the sun whizzing around the sun and just 88 days. Mercury is all about messages and communication is the greatest gift whether verbal and nonverbal. I just wanted to talk about the moon :last_quarter_moon: and the sun :sun_with_face: I thought the moon deserved that attention and Mercury! Hope you had a good day and looking forward to implementing the stars in my readings when I do divination!
Blessed be!
Jeannie

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Oh, yay! :heart: :ringer_planet: :star2:My experience with astrology has been super-positive. I do consider my sun sign (and moon and ascendant) to be part of my identity and I feel the signs of my loved ones are consistent with their personalities. I strongly believe in the romantic compatibility between certain signs. I am attracted to those signs.

I read my weekly and monthly readings on Astrology.com, Bustle, Cafe Astrology, etc. I also LOVE watching astrologers on YouTube (Ablas Roland Legrand, Tania Gabrielle, etc.) describe the positions of the planets and what they portend. I have a planner and sometimes I make notes, like “be extra careful” during Mercury Retrgrades or noting an especially lucky day.

I learned the ascendant sign (mine is Aquarius) is the first impression people have of you. I think my sun sign (Pisces) is the part of me when I am relaxed and happy: creative and loving, also what I was like as a child. I wish I was like that all the time. My moon sign is Virgo (emotions) and tends to come through when I’m super stressed or insecure; then I tend to over-focus on details, schedules, lists, etc.

For this challenge I took a look at my natal chart and the interpretations (Cafe Astrology). I looked at what signs I had in my 12 houses. And I looked at the aspects - conjunctions: smooth sailing. Oppositions: lessons to learn. For example, I have Venus hard opposition to Pluto. I’ve been divorced twice. In my lifetime, I’ve had to learn a lot about what makes for healthy relationships.

Then I looked at the planetary chart for today. One thing I learned is that some planets stay in one place for years or even generations. Also that planets are “happiest” in their home signs. Right now, the two planets associated with my sun sign are in their home - Jupiter and Neptune are in Pisces. Good news for me and my fellow fishes!!! I have beeen feeling confident, optimistic and productive all week after being in a slump for months. I was happy to learn that these planets will be in my sign all summer. So I hope to make significant progress on my goals.

Thanks for this challenge. I really appreciate all the work and creativity you put into creating them!

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Awesome- thanks for sharing the moon sign link, @Christina4! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I was the opposite! For a long time I felt close to my sun sign and didn’t resonate with my moon sign, but I’m slowly beginning to see traits of my Moon in Taurus :new_moon: :taurus: :blush:

Have a wonderful journey into astrology, @Liisa- I hope you have fun as your explore your signs! :milky_way: :grin:

Hooray for finding your moon sign, @wasantha- great job! :new_moon: :aquarius:

Nice, @IrisW! :raised_hands: Sounds like it could be time to go on a hunt, or have a new one created. I’ve found that everytime I go back through my signs, I realize and pick up on different things I didn’t notice before. It makes me realize we really all are living and growing as the years go by! :sparkles:

That sounds like an awesome path to follow, @anne2- I hope you have a fun time learning and discover some inspiration for your next poem. They are a delight to read! :star2:

Perfect timing, @Susurrus! I know you really enjoy astrology and love to delve deep into it- I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll do for this challenge! :two_hearts:

That’s right, you did get your natal chart before, @Kasandra! If you’ve already explored your full chart, you can definitely jump into horscopes :sparkles: You could even try making your own! Here’s an easy way to make your own horoscope:

Tarot Self-Horoscope

  • Meditate on a zodiac sign. Imagine the traits and qualities of this sign- you can visualize the constellation in the sky, or as a cloud of energy

  • In the midst of that cloud, envision the person you read reading for (yourself or someone else)

  • With your tarot deck in front of you, focus on the question: What can [Zodiac] expect today when it comes to [love, money, luck, etc.]*?

  • Draw a single card from your deck and you have your horoscope! Use it to give you zodiac-based advice for the day.

Looking forward to seeing what you’ll do, @NickWick! :milky_way:

Your book aligns perfectly with the challenge, @Jeannie1- that’s good luck! :star2: I hope you continue to enjoy exploring the planets, their male/female energy, and exploring the magick of astrology :blush: Good luck and enjoy! :sparkles:

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with astrology, @mary25- it looks like it is a beloved part of your practice :sparkles: You really dug deep for this challenge- fantastic job with all of your chart explorations! You are very welcome- it is always a delight to see someone enjoy the theme and get to talk about an aspect of magick they are passionate about :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Thanks again for sharing, Mary!

I laughed out loud at this :joy:

Astrology is definitely one of those things where people either love it or hate it- and that’s okay! There are so many different aspects of magick and it’s unlikely that everyone will love all of them.

Thanks for sharing your honest opinion, Megan! :heart: :+1:

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Mary
That’s great you did your natal chart and I just learned that the ascendant is also the first house and the Midheaven is also the tenth house. My first is Libra. With ascendant Gemini, the sun :sunny: is in the fifth house. No wonder I like Gemini :gemini: the Midheaven is is sextile between Neptune my plans sometimes lack realism and therefore unattainable! Which is so true! The tenth house is Representes the work one will do in ones life. Aquarius :aquarius: is tenth house!
Anyway I am excited I am working on our challenge!
Astrology is really introspective! I am going to learn more about myself! I did my natal chart last time so I am doing something else! I know I have a sun sign which is Libra :libra: I went to astrology cafe. I had everything flipped flopped so I had to make this correction opps!
Blessed be!:sparkles:

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:rofl::rofl::rofl: I love it!! I just follow my moon sign and I know what my birth chart is but I haven’t a clue about anything else :laughing: I may have to phone in a friend for this one :rofl::rofl:

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I’m thinking of writing the poem in English, the title can be in Filipino or English for it however the rest of the poem is in English, I admit deep Filipino is not my forte which is why I would permit the other elder/s or Babaylans translate it into their native tongues there are countless dialects in the country, Filipino language’s foundation is the Tagalog dialect for those living in NCR, Filipino or English is usually the native language used for the current generation, some of those from older generation know Spanish (Education in Rizal’s time was a privilege only those with wealth could afford, which is why when the friars finally wanted to teach the country the Spanish language it was too late for the revolution had finally begun and Americans well took the Spanish language out of schools syllabus, and after, Dr. Jose Rizal was killed, war was finally declared against them, for me it was about to occur one way or another, one look at stories of those living in the provinces told me it would be inevitable) , There are also those whom also study Korean or Japanese in the current generation too, you’d just need to seek them out.

As always I’ll do my best to figure out how to tell the story about Abba and his 3 daughters who are also deities and I’ll see if I can add in the local star or constellation called Balatik which is seen as Orion’s Belt in it’s western counterpart, however in the ancient past for Filipinos, Balatik is a hunting trap from the same stars, reflecting their life within hunting and gathering societies.

Blessed Be,
Margaret

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I honestly have no idea what I am going to do, I’m continuing to read the book though. I’m on ascendant signs. Whether or not I will readily retain any information is another story.

Maybe I will do my children’s birth charts. I think I have done one of them. I know I have done my husband & I with compatibility. So the kids may be next. I have each of the water signs in my house. & I can’t say that what I have read about them is wrong as far as their sun signs.

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Thank you for the information. One of the first things I learned when I initiated my craft was Natal Chart. Sometimes, I wondered why I was so emotional and moody and unpredictable. I thought that I was not your typical Scorpio. Yes, I can be manipulative and sometimes cold, but I am also nurturing and caring, and emotional driven. I am a Ascendant Cancer and Moon Pisces. Water is my main element. I always thought that horoscopes are not accurate and sometimes inadequate to my situation. After I realize my placements in the sky, I don’t read horoscopes anymore based on my sun signs. I find it more accurate reading my Ascendant sign, Cancer. I don’t read horoscopes that often because I believe in unpredictability and divine timing. I trust the blessing and lessons from the universe and I feel compel to accept and learn from them. I happy to study Astrology and I feel that psychology is deeply connected to it. Thank your for this wonderful post. I can’t wait to read everyone’s experiences with Astrology.

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