Merry meet!
Thank you once again to all those who joined in last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - The Spirit Element 
After exploring the Fifth Element last week, we’re opening up our witchy toolboxes and apothecaries to explore a popular magickal item 
The theme for this week’s challenge is…
Incense 
Incense, from the Latin word incendere meaning “to burn” (source), is a popular spiritual item used in rituals and as an offering.
Incense, being related to the element Air, plays a fundamental role in many witches’ practices. Different types of herbs are traditionally burned to exorcise and banish negative entities and to bring in good fortune and positive energy. Making incense is a meditative and enjoyable way to exercise your creativity!
From Spells8: Incense & Perfume
Used by various cultures, religions, and spiritual practices around the world, incense is an inexpensive and accessible magickal item, although costs and availability will depend on the type of incense you use.
Whether you have shelves full of incense boxes or are brand new to using incense - you’re invited to explore, learn, and share about this magickal item!
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This week’s challenge is all about incense - how you choose to take on this theme is up to you.
So are you ready? Because it’s…
CHALLENGE TIME!
From Spells8: Diana of the Moon Incense Recipe
STEP 1 : Incense in Your Craft
This challenge is all about incense - but as always, feel free to explore the theme in a way that aligns with you and your unique practice.
Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge.
Please make sure you are logged into your Spells8 Account so you can view all of the resources shared!
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All About Incense 
Incense can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Ancient China, and beyond (source) - it has been intertwined into human history and ritual practice for thousands of years.
Picture from Wikipedia: Incense
For your entry, you might delve in the archives of humanity or explore personal history with incense. Where does your favorite incense come from, and how is it made? When did you start using incense in your practice? What is the history of incense in spiritual use?
Feel free to hit the books and your memory as you peruse this topic. You are also welcome explore ways to use incense, recipes, and more via the incense tag here in the forum.
Incense and Perfumes in Magick
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Making Magickal Incense 
When it comes to magickal items, incense is relatively inexpensive and accessible. Buying incense from the store is a great way to add some to your shelf. But have you ever tried crafting your own? If it’s something you are interested in, consider following a recipe and making your own incense this week.
Related discussions and resources:
- Step-By-Step Guide to Making Your Own Incense
- Fresh Incense & Rope Incense
- Kyphi-Ancient Egyptian Incense-Easy to Make
- Making your own Incense
- Odin and Frigga incense
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Incense Smoke Divination
Of the many methods of divination a witch can use, have you ever tried a smoke divination? Consider using incense smoke to ask questions, find answers, and seek guidance from the divine.
Incense Smoke Scrying and Divination
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Incense in Spellwork & Meditation 
Incense has many uses in rituals and can be incorporated into spellwork to help direct the spell and boost results. From smoke cleansing to incense meditations, consider exploring ways to add incense into your practice.
Related discussions and resources:
- Waning Moon! 🌘 Quick Incense Cleanse Ritual
- Is it possible to get something (manifest) through just Incense?
- Uses for incense ash ✨
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Incense substitutions 
Is incense not a good match for your practice? From smoke-free living to health concerns, a lack of tools or otherwise, incense might not be right for you or your practice right now. If so, no worries! Substituting in magick is the act of exchanging one spell component for another. This is most often done using Correspondences.
Feel free to exchange incense in a spell or explore ways to substitute incense as your entry this week.
Related discussions and resources:
The suggestions above are just a few ideas to help kickstart your creativity- if you feel called to explore incense in another way, you are welcome to do so!
As always, all witches are encouraged to embrace their own unique practice with how they explore the challenge theme 
STEP 2 : Share Your Experience 
Click here for a note 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 
In order for your entry to be counted, 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 clearly write that it is your entry so I know to count it! 
Where Should I Share My Entry? 
Click here to learn where to share your challenge 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 post in the forum (this is good for when you have a lot to share and/or would like to discuss aspects of your entry not related to the current theme)
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, August 6 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2024-08-06T11:00:00Z
(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 
Inspiration!!!
Well, maybe early afternoon, I suppose.
with this challenge. Perfect timing too! I was thinking about ways to expand my meditation practice now that I’ve gone through the basics again and learned a couple more skills. I was looking at the meditation incense 
I think you can probably use charcoal instead but I’ve never tried it. You can also just leave the Makko powder out 
I think it just helps the incense have a more even burn.
Challenge Entry 
Bastet 
Gaia 
because when I was younger me and my family would go get corn 
wax Candle 
Yarrow 
-
Let go
Mugwort 
Saffron