🕔 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE ~ Catch-Up!

BryWisteria · April 3, 2024, 1:25pm

Merry meet!

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Magickal Guardians

This week marks another milestone in witchy challenge history- it is the 190th witchy challenge here in the forum- wow! As with every ten challenges, the challenge clock has come to a brief halt and challenges of all shapes, sizes, and sorts are open once again

catch-up challenge

Challenge Catch-Up!

To celebrate the 190th Weekly Challenge something special is happening…

Was there a busy week where you missed a challenge? Did an interesting theme happen before you joined the forum? Maybe there was a topic you were hesitant to try but now feel ready for. Well- now is your chance!

This week is a Catch-Up Week where all previously closed challenges will be re-opened for a short time!

So are you ready? It’s a blast from the past!

On your mark, get set:

CHALLENGE TIME!

STEP 1: Choose a Previous Challenge

From earth-friendly magick, dreaming, past lives, magickal names and more- there are 172 previous challenge themes to choose from (not including the past Catch-Up challenges).

The previous challenges and the titles they granted are listed below. Please click the link to visit that challenge page to view details including guidelines, entry suggestions, and inspiration from past coven member entries.

Note that the old discussions for past challenges will remain locked- please share your comments and entries here or in a new post!

Catch-Up XVIII [this challenge!]
Magickal Guardians – Protected with Love
A Witch’s Intuition – Intuitive Witch
Magickal Creatures – Favored by the Fantastical
Bind Runes – Rune Binder
Waning Moon Magick – Witch of the Waning Moon
Splish Splash Spellwork – Water Witch
Science & Witchcraft – Scientific Witch
Empaths & Empathic Abilities – Empath
The Magick of Movement – Witch on the Move
Catch-Up XVII
Luck Magick – Lucky Witch
Fairies & Fae – Friend of Fairies
Manifestation – Manifestor
Light Magick – Lightworker
Candle Divination – Candle Diviner
Finding Your Witchy Talents – Magickally Skilled
Witch Ethics: The Morals of Magick – Honorable Witch
A Witch’s Cauldron – Cauldron Keeper
Your Magickal Senses – Sensational Witch
Catch-Up XVI
Blessed Besoms – Broom Keeper
Spirits & Ghosts – Spiritworker
Magickal Correspondences – Keeper of Correspondences
Of Hearth & Home – Hearthtender
Deities & Deity Worship – Blessed by the Divine
Consecration – Consecrator
Magickal Equilibrium: Balance – Equalibralizer
Magickal Traditions & Pagan Paths – Proud of My Path
Wonderful Wands – Wand Wielder
Catch-Up XV
The Magick of Sound - Sound Worker
A Witch’s Collection – Collector
Wheel of the Year: Pagan Holidays – Year-Round Witch
Magickal Safety – Warden
Visualizations – Visualizer
Sacred Books – Book Keeper
Witch-conceptions: Stereotypes – The One and Only
Anointing Candles – Anointer
Witch Fashion – Stylish Witch
Catch-Up XIV
Knot Magick – Stitch Witch
Culinary Magick – Crafty Chef
Amulets and Talismans – Charming Witch
A Witch’s Companions – Among Friends
The Art of Scrying – Scryer
Natural Health & Healing – Healed by the Earth
The Divine Feminine – Divinely Feminine
The Divine Masculine – Divinely Masculine
Grounding & Centering – Composed Caster
Catch-Up XIII
Witchy Media – Magickal Maestro
Sleep & Dream Magick – Witch of the Night
Magick of the Sun – Sun Witch
Cleansing in the Craft – Powerful Purifier
The Fortune Teller’s Game – Blessed by Fortune
Eclectic Witch: Interdisciplinary Magick – Eclectic Witch
Magickal Inks & Oils – Craftswitch
Ancestor Work – A Living Legacy
Circles in Magick – Magister Circulorum
Catch-Up XII
Spell Jars & Witch Bottles – Spell Jar Specialist
Technologic & Modern Magick – Technomancer
Magickal Names – One Who Knows Thyself
Time Magick – Tempus Mage
13 Days of Holiday Celebrations – Festive Witch
The Chakras – Chakra Worker
Weather Witchery – Weather Witch
Green & Herbal Magick – Green Witch
Troubleshooting Spellwork – Spell Mechanic
Catch-Up XI
Tactical Magick – Magickal Strategist
All About Runes – Rune Reader
Hedge Magick: Into Other Realms – Hedge Witch
Seasonal Magick – Witch of the Season
Palmistry – Palm Reader
Witch Brews & Potions – Potion Brewer
Handwritten Magick – With Hand and Heart
Conditional Magick – Master of Circumstances
Numerology – Numerologist
Catch-Up X
Liminal Magick – Liminal Witch
Divining Differently – Divination Explorer
Multilingual Magick – Polyglot Practicioner
Wholesome Healers – Healer
Money Magick – Prosperous Witch
Casual Casting – Casual Caster
HandCrafting – Handy Witch
A Journey of Change – Doctrina et crescente
Mountain Magick: Land Beneath Our Feet – Mountain Witch
Catch-Up IX : The Hundredth Challenge
Solstice: Festivities of Light – Solstice Celebrant
Ocean Magick – Sea Witch
As Above, So Below – One Who Is Connected
Smells Like Magick – Osmic Occultist
Meditation Magick – Magickal Meditator
Blooming with the Moon - Virent anima
The Bestiary - Cryptozoologist
Let a Witch Unwind! – Caster of Calm
Energy Work – Energy Channeler
Catch-Up VIII
Candle Magick: Light 'Em Up! – Holder of Light
Chaos Magick – Master of Chaos
Tools of the Witch Trade – Well-Equipped Witch
Flower Power – Athrophile Witch
Teas & Infusions – Tea Witch
Teachers of Magick – Student of Magick
Symbols & Sigils – Wielder of Symbols
Everyday Magick – Carpe diem
Love Magick – Lovely Witch
Catch-Up VII
Lunisolar Calendar and Chinese New Year – Favored by Fortune
Your Magickal Muse – Beloved by the Muses
Sacred Trees and Wood – Custos Arborum
Making Magickal Offerings – Blessed Bestower
Passage Into the New Year – Trailblazer
The Magick of Happiness – Beholder of Happiness
Solar Magick – Solar Mage
Freedom in Forgiveness – Magnanimous
Dual Wielding Opposite Forces – Unus qui est libratum
Catch-Up VI
Spell Swap Meet – Coven Contributor
Working With Higher Powers - In manibus numinum
Trick-or-Treat! - Sweet 'n Spooky
Making Objects Magickal – Enchanter
A Magickal Blessing – Blessed One
Peering into Past Lives – Witch of the Ages
History of Magick – History’s Heir
Powerful Protection – Powerful Protector
The Magick of Music – Bard Witch
Catch-Up V
Magick on the Go – Wandering Witch
One Witch to Another – Keeper of Knowledge
Salty Spellwork – Imperium salis
Reading Auras – Aura Reader
Cat Magick – Amicus felium
Wickedly Delicious – Connoisseur Witch
Deities of the Moon – Blessed by the Moon
Beauty Magick – Pulchra magicae
A Touch of Tarot – Tarot Reader
The Challenger [50th Challenge] – Challenge Champion
Dragon Magick – Blessed by Dragons
A Healthy Dose of Crystals – Crystal Healer
Enchanting Chants – Chant Witch
The Many Colors of Magick – Colorful Witch
Catch-Up IV
Astrology: Reading the Skies - Astrologer
Into the Light - Witch of Love and Light
From the Shadows - Shadow Survivor
Congrats to the Coven - Coven Celebrant
All About Altars - Reverent Witch
Holistic Magick: A Witch’s Apothecary - Apothecarist
The Wizardry of Words - Word Witch
Claws, Paws, Tails and Scales - Animalis magum
Strength of the Full Moon - Lunar Witch
Catch-Up III
Magick in the Arts - Art Witch
Star Magick - Shining Bright
Your Magickal Roots - Peritus viatorem
Elemental Mastery - Master of All Elements
Of the Element Earth - Earth Elemental
Of the Element Fire - Fire Elemental
From Seed to Sprout - Ceiliúradh an tséasúir
Of the Element Air - Air Elemental
Of the Element Water - Water Elemental
Catch Up II
Of Goals and Intent - Finis patrator
Holiday Cheer - Merrily Magickal
Magick in the Dark - Tenebris Lucem
Of Spells and String - Weavemaster
Scrub-a-dub, Magick in the Tub - Bubbly Witch
Heed the Call of Crystals - Crystal Collector
Creative Crafting - Creatively Crafty
Of Candles and Flame - Witch of the Flame
The Veil Between Worlds - Witch of the Veil
Catch-Up I
The Spell-ing Bee - Spell Master
Foretelling the Future - Seer Apprentice
Potion Making - Potion Master
Books, Tomes, and Tales - Book Lover
Giving Gratitude - Blessed and Grateful
Inviting Abundance - Blessed by Abundance
Moon Magick - Moon Witch
Dealing in the Divine - Deific Witch
Kitchen Witchery - Kitchen Witch
Dream Magick - Oneiric Witch
Earth-Friendly Witchcraft - Earth Witch
The Thrifty Witch - Thrifty Witch
Celestial Exploration - Cosmic Witch
Trying Something New - Experimenter

Note that you can view the full list of challenges at any time by visiting: Weekly Witchy Challenges A History

How many challenges can I do this week?

If you are feeling particularly adventurous this week and want to do more than just the usual one challenge, you can do:

→ Up to THREE CHALLENGES ←

This limit exists to encourage mindfulness on each challenge- please remember that, although some challenges have similar themes, every challenge requires its own unique entry in order to receive the corresponding badge

But I want to earn all of the badges!

That is awesome- I am so happy that you enjoy the badges so much!

At the end of the day, badges are just a small token- the challenges are really here to help you improve and enhance your magickal practice. So please try to take your time with your exploration of the theme(s) you choose- they are here to help you help yourself!

(On an administrative note, the limit also exists to save your challenge moderator from a potential ocean of badge-giving for all the various challenges at once! )

But for challenge enthusiasts and badge collectors- no fear! You can rest assured that another chance to join in on any additional missed challenges will come again soon. You can expect another Catch-Up Challenge and chance to earn old badges every ten challenges

Not sure which challenges you already participated in?

Click here to learn how to check which badges you already have

If you can’t remember if you completed a challenge or not, no worries! You can go to the challenge page and check the entries to see if you submitted.

Additionally, you can go to your Badges page to see a collection of all the titles you previously earned.

Here is how to check your badges:

Click on your avatar/picture icon at the top right-hand side of any page in the forum.
Click on the person icon and select “Summary”.
Next, click on “Badges”

Here you can see all the badges you have earned during your time exploring the forums!

STEP 2: Share Your Entry(ies) to the Challenge

Click here for notes about challenge inclusivity

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

That being said, please know that if you would like to receive a prize and a public shout-out, it is required that you share your experience.

Getting Your Credit

IMPORTANT : Please don’t forget to include the name of the chosen challenge and/or the badge you want somewhere in your post as well!

If you do not include a challenge or badge name with your entry, I will have to use my best guess and you may not get the title you were hoping for- so please be sure to mention it!

After you have chosen an old challenge (or two, or three!), completed your task, and are ready to share- all you have to do is write/share about your experience and label it as your challenge entry. There is a lot of chatting here (which is awesome- chatting and discussion are very welcome!) so please please PLEASE clearly write that it is your entry so that I know to count it!

Where Should I Share My Entry?

Click here for instructions on where to share your entry

You are welcome to post it right here- just click “reply” to this post and write your experience in the text box that pops up!

Alternatively, you could create a new thread in the forum (doing so keeps your entry separate and is a good option if you have a lot to share)

Note : If you do choose to create a new thread, please add the “challenge-entry” tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you!

Deadline

This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, April 9 at 7:00 AM ET (Eastern US Time)
2024-04-09T11:00:00Z

(Note that the time zone is ET- if you don’t see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)

Prizes

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

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. This discussion will remain open for about a week after the challenge finishes.

A warm reminder that the challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that honors and reflects their unique practice

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 your friendly Moderator Team .

And for those new to challenges- welcome! 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

The clock has stopped so the door of missed opportunities can open once again- spread your wings and don’t be afraid to delve into a previously unexplored of magick!

Blessed Be!

georgia · April 3, 2024, 3:53pm

My last challenge, while on the internet, is a catch up! This is fun! The cool part about it is I was given a job to do, yesterday, which fits 3 (if not more) challenges on the list. So let’s dig in.

Challenge Entry: Energy Work

The original request was to define energy. I’d like to split that a bit. Some may consider it splitting hairs or say I don’t have to work with these energies, but this is what I was shown during meditation, yesterday, so I choose to act on it for the betterment of all.

What I saw was black. Can’t define it any other way. No shadow has ever been blacker. It was almost a solid, opaque, horrifying… but I could see it was not mine. I had invited it into my life by cleaning up the energies in my neighborhood- I guess I had become good at cleansing?

Define it? I call it orphan energy. Someone had a problem they were unable to solve or had to leave before the issue was taken care of. The energy didn’t travel with them for one reason or another. That energy is assumed to fade or be grounded or sent to the Universe to be transmuted into something neutral and thus useable. If water takes time to be filtered into something drinkable, wouldn’t energy take time, also? With so many people on this planet who don’t know how to work with energy responsibly, it makes sense that some areas would have more energy to be cleansed than others; and the more people use, the more it builds up.

This leads to the Challenge Entry: The Challenger.

If I have been made aware of it, the energy build up in my area must be intense; and if I have learned how to transmute such energies, I feel the need to do what I can to help- so someone else doesn’t have to deal with it. It is not a pleasant job, since I seem to be attracting more than my share of mess, but someone has to do it. Might as well be me.

My tools are meditations by the Ankh Priest family of sites: Ankh Power, Ankh Voice, and Matrix of Life.

Yes, they are Cyrillic, and I don’t understand all that is written or said. My browsers don’t always translate everything, and I find myself unable to get every detail. In days gone by, I may have been accused of communism for it- so sue me. It’s not always all about politics: beauty is beauty, no matter what language it’s in.

The videos are kaleidoscopic, beautiful to watch, and easy to meditate to. When I focus on the outcome I desire, I find the connections I need, and the magick flows. The videos are a tool, not the source of the magick. I haven’t figured out as yet if I am using my own energy or the Universal Source, but as long as the work gets done, the finer details will come later.

Last night, I accepted the challenge posted by the Universe, the planet, or my neighborhood. The energy comes to me: I don’t search for it. I began again nightly watching of these videos with focused intention. Meanwhile, I chant over and over that I want the negative energy to be transmuted into something neutral and useable.

I fell asleep to this magick… leading to Challenge Entry: Dream Magic.

I was separate from all characters: unseen watcher. The setting was a beautiful Victorian mansion (think the house from the movie Psycho). It kept getting darker and darker with the energy gathered within. I could tell the building itself was not at fault. It was simply acting out in an attempt to get help for those living within it. However, once the energy got lodged within, it wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Buildings and places have their own understanding of energy. Compassion shown to the building or place itself is a binder to your energy which can help in the clearing process. Energy collected was not intended to be used by the building or place in a negative manner. Often what we sense as a haunting may be the building or place crying out for help in mitigating the negative energy into something more neutral and useable.

The cat knew what was going on. We often tell our pets what we feel and think. They cannot tell anyone, so our secrets are safe. Yet if the animal understands, there is the possibility that the animal could carry a heavy load of our emotions- added to their own life issues. I felt the need to tell the cat it wasn’t their fault.

Our pets can be taught energy work. Whether or not they understand is up to them. The best way to teach them is to do the energy work in their presence and explain what is happening and why. When they get it, they can imitate what they see and feel… and help in the process next time.

There was a butler. He would cut fruit and notice the fresh fruit was going bad more quickly than usual, but he had no idea why or what was going on. There was no understanding in order to assist the lady of the house, though he could sense something untoward was going on. When he left, he left it all behind because there was no energetic attachment other than the stress of the job.

The owner of the house was a young witch. People were blaming her for the negative energy; but she, also, was a witness to the source of the negativity. By not telling the authorities, she was harboring a criminal; but she didn’t have proof and didn’t know whom to tell to get help for the true victims. Meanwhile, the negativity was deepening into a curse, acting out on the witness rather than the original cause of the negativity. The witness was the weak link because of feelings of guilt: knowing it was wrong, but not knowing what to do to help.

Finally, the stress got so bad that the youngling left. Since the issue was not resolved, the energy has remained to become an orphan, haunting the house.

I gave the house compassion. It was not the house’s fault. This alone can grant a modicum of confidence to continue the work of cleansing.
It wasn’t the fault of the previous owner. I couldn’t send the energy to her. It needs cleansing, but not to send it away for some innocent to deal with.
The original source of the negativity happened so long ago than the individual may have learned their lesson and moved on. It wouldn’t be fair to revisit it upon them. I hope that the person has become a better version of themselves- which is a blessing sent to them on their path.

So we are left with the negative energy trapped in an innocent place. I could send it to the Universe, but even the vast expanses can become overwhelmed in time. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only changed.

The best way to deal with it is to transmute it into something else. I consider the orphaned energy like a know it all teenager: full of something not fully understood, and in desperate need of guidance and active use. Put it to use in the community in some positive way or redefine the energy as something neutral, waiting to be used. If the energy has collected awareness, it can actively seek its own output, but that is rare.

A developer could pull energy from the site and use it to build something good for the community or someone could plant a garden nearby, focusing on pulling the energy from the house as a form of talisman… if the people know how to do energy work. Otherwise, the energy needs to be grounded and scattered for use elsewhere. I am the aware energy worker, so I can do a grounding and pull the energy with me, giving it a new home deep within the earth, intending it to be neutral for someone else to focus and use at some other place and time.

starborn · April 3, 2024, 4:10pm

The best leaders aren’t those who strive for leadership, but those who do it because someone must get something done, so they might as well step up and get it done. This is what I believe, anyway.

And by saying this, I mean a compliment to you for being such a wonderful person. I hope we can figure out a way to keep you connected. I don’t want you to go.

That’s interesting that they show up in Cyrillic for you. It shows up in English for me. Maybe we got switched around.

Videos:

This VIDEO Transforms NEGATIVE Energy into POSITIVE Energy - Just LISTEN
Just listen to it 1 time | Very FAST Cleaning of NEGATIVITY with a RETURN to the Sender
The fastest CLEANSING of the Body from BLACK Bindings, HARMFUL Energies and EVIL Witchcraft

Fun pointless fact: My name is written Катерина.

Aww. You’re lovely.

That’s interesting… It might explain our older cat. I must dive down this rabbit hole and see where it leads!

That’s beautiful. And a process I would love to work on encouraging as well.

georgia · April 3, 2024, 4:31pm

These three seem to be fine, though the beautiful voice is gibberish in one of them. Check out the sites:

The earlier the video, the less English, it seems. Once Google decides I’ve been looking at enough, it goes all Cyrillic for me, even the newer vids. I just called one “the silver unicorn brooch” and another a triquetra just because there was nothing comprehensible but a picture.

starborn · April 3, 2024, 4:35pm

Ohh, I see what you mean.

Diamond · April 3, 2024, 4:42pm

Yaaaahhh back in time for this super kool challenge. Oh boy it is so many challenges to choose from. Also. Thank you @BryWisteria and @celineelise for travel wishes, I had an amazing time in Puerto Rico.

makeameme.org

tracyS · April 3, 2024, 5:56pm

@georgia I will miss you

georgia · April 3, 2024, 6:01pm

Thank you @tracyS . I will miss you, too.

I will miss so much, here. You all have been wonderful. I’m so glad I found this place!

Amethyst · April 3, 2024, 11:03pm

Oh, gosh. I have so many to catch up on this time. I don’t know where to begin! LOL!

MeganB · April 3, 2024, 11:03pm

Time to break out my spreadsheet - I know I’ve missed several challenges recently!

Kasandra · April 4, 2024, 1:03am

Challenge Entry

Magickal Gurdians

My dragon guardian is a green dragon that I have named Hank. Dragons rarely give you their real names and when I asked for Hank’s name, the letter H appeared frequently in a random sequence of letters.

He is a healer who encourages us to seek self-care so that we can take care of others.

When I concentrate, I can sense his presence. He loves to lay across my shoulders with his head pointing to the right. In the beginning, he would sit on my left shoulder.

I think he is the one who gives me a light scratch to tell me which tarot or oracle card/s I should draw.

I normally don’t cast circles, so I ask Hank to protect me from negative energy and entities during my rituals.

Artemisia · April 4, 2024, 1:12am

I was just thinking the same thing!!!

I know I have a bunch left to do. Let’s see what the random number generator picks for me this time!

Artemisia · April 4, 2024, 1:56am

Ok my 3 randomly picked challenges are:

The Veil Between Worlds - Witch of the Veil
Holiday Cheer - Merrily Magickal
Energy Work – Energy Channeler

Already researching ideas to start working on in the morning!

stavroula · April 4, 2024, 9:14am

Omg so many to choose from!
I think I will go with these 2 since I was already searching them

Your Magickal Muse – Beloved by the Muses
Witch Fashion – Stylish Witch

starborn · April 4, 2024, 1:18pm

Challenge entry #1

For my first entry, I’ve chosen Money Magick as that has been a topic I’ve been looking into recently.

To start with, I finally got the Trinity of Wealth spell properly written up and posted it here:

The original incantation was written in Latin, but I did my best to translate it into English in the morning using https://www.online-latin-dictionary.com/

I made one of these early last year to help ensure that I could finish getting my debts covered and I’d have enough to afford the deposit and all those other fees for our new apartment. (The apartment we moved to at the end of last year.) I buried it in a park near the old apartment, although with some difficulty, as there were small roots all through the soil, making digging difficult.

With many of these spells, I believe our own efforts are really important. We do the spell to send our intentions out into the universe, and while the universe and our spirits will guide and support us like a GPS, I believe we have to hop onto the bicycle and do the actual pedalling.

So, I put in a lot of work myself, including working a second job for three months to make extra money. Needless to say, that was an exhausting three months.

Then, later in the year, I officially opened my Etsy store after being emboldened by this coven, for which I’m extremely grateful.

Anyway, I will make another one soon. I’ve recently done a wealth spell, so I don’t want to do another too soon. This is a short video of the one I did with Clauneck exactly two weeks ago:

I will post the process to the wealth thread when I get a chance. There was a ritual I found online that I used as a base, but I changed it so much that I want to write up my own version.

Anyway, the purpose of this wealth work is to help me down the road towards my goals. The following is just part of what I want to achieve in this life:

Another part is people-focused. I’m still working on the details with that, but I find teaching, guiding, and supporting people to be very fulfilling. However, I don’t have the qualifications to become a doctor or psychologist or similar, and I don’t intend to. I want to work on something that’s more easily accessible and down-to-earth, not requiring people to “have the money” to get foundational support in their lives.

Part of that is why I started doing tarot readings for others, and I keep the prices around that of a nice meal. (Arguable. My managers at work say one would have to spend at least twice that for a nice meal. I told them they’re being snobs for that, though. ) But that’s part of the experimentation.

Anyway, I will keep trying new things and mulling over ideas until I find something that works for me and others. I think I’ve wandered off-topic quite a bit here, but oh well.

starborn · April 4, 2024, 2:19pm

Challenge entry #2

For my second entry, I’ve chosen From the Shadows.

We are approaching the next new moon, so I thought I would take this as an opportunity to finally tackle this challenge. And I’m going to sprinkle through some DALL·E generated images so this isn’t just a wall of rambling text.

I do a lot of shadow work through journalling and even sometimes by conversing in this forum. Sometimes, the vulnerabilities just flow through me into my writing, and I press “reply,” opening myself up to others pointing out things that I hadn’t noticed before or giving me ideas for how to proceed when I hadn’t even considered improving in such an area.

Anyway, let’s delve into a few things that I’ve had to deal with…

(This is meant to be me, but it added glasses, tattoos, and shoes, and made the PC tower way too big.

)

Firstly, my fears used to include being seen as crazy by the people who matter to me. It has caused me to start some arguments over a perceived implication of being crazy sometimes. But I’ve become a lot better with that, especially over the course of this year, as I’ve been doing a lot of shadow work.

Secondly, the grudges I hold against others that I could let go of are few. It’s hard for me to hold grudges at all, even after horrible things have happened. It seems like my natural inclination is to let go, and I’ve actually had to fight myself not to let go sometimes. Why would I do such a thing? Because it makes me drop my guard and get hurt by the same people over and over again.

(That being said, my idea of forgiving means giving trust back to the person who has wronged me. It’s got nothing to do with stewing in angry feelings and making myself miserable — I think that’s something else entirely, which I fortunately have not had much trouble with.)

However, I’ve left many unhealthy relationships behind now, so issues with this reoccurring are much lower than they would have been in the past. The remaining family members on my father’s side are a bit of an issue, especially my father. While he seems to be mellowing out a little, he has betrayed me too recently for me to let my guard down.

(Again, me in my favourite style to wear through winter.

)

Anyway, as these kinds of things keep naturally appearing during the process of my journalling and talking here, I will switch my focus a little.

I posted not too long ago about the struggle of life and how it’s neverending. I worry that sometimes I come across as immune to emotional setbacks, but in reality, this is not the case. I have bad days and moments just like anyone else; I just have become a lot better than I used to be at letting them go.

However, spending some time in the low moments can actually be relaxing or get me thinking constructively, and I come out the other side with new insights. I believe there are beneficial sides to it at times, so I don’t strive to eradicate low moments from my life entirely.

That being said, staying in those lows would be harmful if it made me look for ways to escape, avoid dealing with things, or cope through superficially fulfilling activities such as online shopping. It sounds fine in the moment, but those actions cause a metaphorical debt I would have to repay with interest in the future, as things left unresolved often grow into bigger things.

(Me again, reading while sitting on the sofa. Something I enjoy doing.)

Anyway, one last thing for this challenge and that’s a spell, of course!

Filling the Void

This spell intends to catch positive energies and fill the gap left after releasing old habits and relationships in the process of shadow work. It calls upon love, prosperity (not just financially), spiritual energy, and good health.

You will need: A glass jar with a tight lid, special items (a coin to symbolise money, heart charm or rose petals to symbolise love, ginger root for health, and quartz crystal for spirituality), some honey or syrup, and a yellow chime candle.

First, we set these up on our altars. The empty jar stands for potential and space for a new beginning. We are to hold it and get to feel the emptiness in it, translating readiness for positive changes.

We then take our items and empower them individually. For example, we can take the coin and picture our financial stability filling the coin up with green light, before depositing it into the jar. We then do the same with love, imagining a pink light when we deposit the items. Health will have an orange light, and spiritual energy will have a white light.

After empowering all of our items, we can pour honey over the items in the jar to bring and hold our desired energies. Then we seal the jar, fixing the candle with melted wax and burning it fully.

We complete this spell by ensuring that the jar is placed in an open place where it can be seen. Here, it will serve as a constant reminder of the positive change we want to draw into our lives.

Before I leave this challenge entry here, I have to give a shout-out to some lovely witches who help keep me grounded in this space: @Devenne, @Artemisia, and @CelestiaMoon. I’m grateful for being able to come to you with my worries, especially since this online socialising life is relatively new to me, and I’m still finding my way around it. (I’m an autistic hermit, even online. )

CelestiaMoon · April 4, 2024, 2:44pm

@starborn I’m so grateful to have you in my life too

The generated pictures of you are so cute and make me smile

Devenne · April 4, 2024, 3:05pm

Wow amazing entries

Artemisia · April 4, 2024, 3:27pm

Right back atcha
I thought of you and several other cherished forum members when I pulled Unity as my card for today

amandakay · April 4, 2024, 6:34pm

Challenge Entry: Everyday Magick

As a mom of two (soon to be three) little girls, I struggle to find the time to sit down for long periods to do magick. Because of that, I try my hardest to incorporate magick into my every day life! My favorite ritual right now is my morning coffee blessing. Any time I stir intention (usually motivation) into my drink, my days are extra productive!

Another activity I really enjoy is a daily tarot card pull. Sometimes I’m not able to fit it in until after I’ve put my girls to bed, but regardless I still try to get it done. I love reflecting back in my tarot journal to see if there are any patterns or just out of curiosity.

To help with a chore I loathe, I’ve been researching dish/kitchen/cleaning magick!

This branch of magick is so nice, warm, and cozy to me. I just need to get more of a routine down to stay on top of things, but that’s easier said than done for sure! My next goal is to transform my kitchen (the area I usually let accumulate a mess, especially the dishes) into a happy place where I don’t feel so overwhelmed all the time. I LOVE to cook, so it’s very conflicting not wanting to be in the messy kitchen while also wanting to cook a nice meal for my family.

Sometimes, my every day magick simply consists of me purposefully choosing a color theme for the day (clothes, makeup, nails), braiding/doing my hair with intention, or taking a moment to breathe and thank my deity. Lighting a candle in the morning before I get my girls up also helps, and just basking in the warmth/gratitude/vibes.

Every little thing helps me feel connected to the divine, magickal world when I’m not able to sit for long periods and complete spellwork or rituals. I think it’s the little things that can make a big difference!

I did see some great ideas that I plan on incorporating into my daily/weekly practice, like:

•Do a simmer pot while cleaning.

•Feeding local wildlife (bird feeder, squirrel feeder) dedicating the act to my deity.

•Writing a daily/nightly prayer with lit candle.

•Shower resets/cleanses.

•Grounding multiple times a day, or when feeling overstimulated.

I love the opportunity to delve into past challenges and pick ones that fit me! Can’t wait to see how everyday magick can improve my life further the more I progress in my practice.