Challenge Entry #3
A Journey of Change
What led you toā¦
believe in magick?
Magick. 
take the leap to begin practicing magick?
I already had a small spell book that Iād made for a witch character that I kept going back to, so the leap was just to try it. 
What are theā¦
biggest hurdles/challenges youāve overcome in your practice?
Confidence and trusting in my intuition! But theyāre the best hurdles to have overcome. 
Iād already taken many steps away from being a people pleaser due to learning to enjoy testing my limits socially at work many years ago now. But I feel like these were the last pieces of the puzzle. 
Of course, that doesnāt mean that Iām done. From here, thereās a lot of opportunity to grow. But at least Iām not trying to fix things still, if that makes sense.
biggest achievements/successes you have accomplished in your practice?
Same as above. 
Is there anything on your magickal journeyā¦
that you regret?
No. I do my best, in general, to live my life without regrets. That doesnāt mean that I try not to care when I mess up, but I do my best to own the mistake and learn from it so that I donāt repeat it. And Iāve come to accept that thatās the best a person can do once something is already done.
That being said, the worst that Iāve done while on this journey has been misunderstanding people. So itās not like Iām having to try to forgive myself for anything horrific, like starting a cult and then sacrificing everyone to Cthulhu in exchange for a box of the best cookies in the world.
that you would change if you could go back and do it again?
If I could go back and do it again, Iād probably have more of the confidence in myself that I have now. This means that I would probably save a bunch of money as Iād be more comfortable with my own ability and donāt feel the need to lean on the tools and materials as much as I used to.
How has your magickal practice changed youā¦
as a witch/magick user?
Iāve become a lot better at managing my energy and protecting myself, allowing myself to have a more peaceful life than before. For example, a very recent example is that peopleās petty crap doesnāt get to me or even mentally stick with me anymore, i.e. I find it easier to let go of things and be in the present.
Iāve also come to appreciate chaos magick. That doesnāt mean that Iām throwing proper correspondences aside, but I can work much better with energy alone, and itās great. 
Iāve found a new creative spark, through working on spells and rituals, and I feel more connected to nature, through many of the spells and rituals that are tied to the time of day or season. 
as a person?
The confidence and trust in my intuition, which I mentioned earlier, is a big one. They both make overcoming challenges in my mundane life easier, allowing me to do better at dealing with those and paradoxically relying on the magickal less, even though the magickal is new to me, but you get what I mean, I thinkāIām managing to avoid seeing everything as a nail now that I have a hammer (magick).
I also feel as though Iāve been able to become closer to others in life. Itās hard to put into words, but the close bonds that I do have feel more open and loving. 
I feel more empowered to take control of my life, my self-awareness has increased a great amount, and I feel more capable of defining and working towards purpose and meaning.