🕛 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Catch-Up!

[charlotte2]

Challenge Entry 2 - As Above, So Below
I have been doing a lot of shadow work lately with my craft as I forge a new path forward. I have been out of work for three years and I am trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. This journey has brought me closer to Goddess Aine, especially as I continually pull The Magician (“I have all the tools to create my reality. The divine works through me.” -Labyrinthos app). I have also had a long and tough journey with depression, anxiety, and OCD. For me what resonates the most at this time is “as within, so without” as I continue to explore my wants and needs without letting inner turmoil overtake me and influence my life. I have been meditating, doing devotionals, and journaling (and faithfully taking my meds) so that my inner self is able to feel calm and in control. This way I can better influence and manifest what I want for my outer self.
For last night’s full snow moon, I lit a purple candle, listened to the full moon meditation from Spells8, journaled, and did a crystal scrying while invoking Goddess Aine.

[charlotte2]

Challenge Entry 3 - Heed the Call of Crystals
I wasn’t sure if I would do a third catch-up challenge, but the opportunity fell into my lap via my husband. My birthday was on the 3rd and he bought me a rock tumbler kit. I was able to go through raw stones and pick which ones I wanted to tumble first, put them into the tumbler with the grit and water and begin the process. Over the course of this February moon, I will check on them and switch the grit out. It feels like a truly special gift to watch the stones go from their raw form to a tumbled appearance and I am so excited to use them in my craft.

[Solasta_Amore]

My Challenge Entry #3 : Heed The Call Of Crystals (Crystal Collector)

So I gathered up all the crystals that I possess for this crystallized challenge! As for learning more about a few crystals I chose to learn deeply about my Howlite , Sodalite and Malachite stones! Although I knew about their basic properties, I found these lovely pins from Pinterest that helped to know a bit more about them!

Images’ source - Pinterest

I cleansed all my stones afterwards in small bowls filled with water, I definitely did not immerse malachite for much long as it is not advisable! Then after all my crystals were cleansed and purified by the beautiful water I put them in, I charged them with Palo Santo incense smoke as I passed each one through it!

Now comes the favourite picture of mine for I am going to show off my little crystal collection! Haha! This includes - blue topaz pendant, rainbow moonstone, labradorite & blue chalcedony rings, my seven chakra bracelet consisting - clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, carnelian, red jasper, lapis lazuli and green aventurine, chips! Then there is my aquamarine bracelet, some clear quartz and black tourmaline put separately out of the crystal heap in the center! My amethyst pendulum, a rose quartz tumbled stone and howlite, sodalite & malachite!!! Pheeww!

At last I managed to make a flower of life crystal grid…after I realized that one was already there in the middle of my altar cloth! Anyways, I went with the one I had made…

Sooo The end of my 3rd entry too! And thank you to everyone who read till the end! There, I did it! All three challenges done in time! Ha…thank you Universe! Blessed Be!

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

Challenge entry 2

Not sure if this falls into the astrology or numerology category

If have an interest in the planets and beleive they have a big influence on our lives. I was aware of what they had control over having worked with astrology for the past few years. I therefore looked for a way to utilise this into my work. I came across the planetary magic squares . Each square is a set of numbers arranged in a way that corresponds to numerals linked to each planet.

This evening i visited my grandmother in.a care home and it struck me how weak she has become. I wanted to utilise the power of the sun to provide her with healing and strength.

I started with an intention and recorded what came to mind, including the little doodles:

I simplified this to a message that could be translated to a sigil…HEAL NANA (my name for her). I used standard numerology to convert this to numbers:

I used the suns magic square to create the sigil with the dot marking the beginning and the line marking the end.

After getting the sigil i burned it onto a wooden disc with my pyrography tool

Now i have the sigil that i can carry and leave with her next time i see her. I have asked my deities also to bless this and for their assistance in their healing.

Blessed be

[Assyla555]

This is absolutely lovely! Great job! I love this! Sorry for all the exclamations lol

[Shine]

Challenge Entry: Catch-Up
All About Runes - Rune Reader

One of the very first witchy-type apps I downloaded was Runic Formulas . My love language is cooking so I like to inscribe useful runes on the bottom of dishes before I put the food in. Other than that, I’ve not worked much with them.

It’s been a while since I’ve bothered with nail polish. I’m very rough on my hands & not at all mindful so it doesn’t usually last long. I found a bottle of my favorite color while clearing out an old purse and decided what the heck… Why not? The second the last nail dried I thought, ugh! I could have put runes on my nails before I painted them!!! (Always the way, right?) So now I’ve waited till they were messed up & removed the color. The app says anything on your left hand addresses your self & anything on the right address others. I went through the list on the printable page from All About Runes & found things that I needed to target how I handle myself & how I handle myself with others. Ignore the shakes on my right nails. I’m not ambidextrous by any stretch of the definition lol. I’ll add another cost when I get time (which may be never lol yay mommyhood! )

[Assyla555]

Oh I love this! Such a cool idea. Very very nice!

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

Thank you so much. Im glad you liked it. There is a difderent number square for each planet so you use which ever planet best suits yiur needs

[Shine]

@Garnet I’m right there with ya on the 853,368 I have to catch up on. Your Moon prose is beautiful. I am drawn to her as well.

@Susurrus aaaallllll of them? #goals (insert Wayne’s World ‘We’re no worthy!’ adulation)

@Kasandra I really need to do that. Would you mind sharing the link for that video?

@jan_TheGreenWitch those teas are GORGEOUS

@Mistress_Of_Herbs doctors aren’t as careful as you are! You are a lovely soul.

[MeganB]

For my third entry, I am going to answer the journal prompts from the Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - It’s Time for Time Magick. I was at a loss for what to do next and, being low on spoons this evening, I figured this would be a good practice for journaling and thinking about what I want or what I know.

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→ If you could live forever in your current body and mind, would you?

Ya know, I’m not sure I would. There is a lot going on with my physical body that I would rather change. I think if I was going to live forever I would prefer to live in a more physically-able or capable body. But then on the other hand, if I had this body forever, I could spend my free time honing my skills, healing my body, and getting stronger. It’s a double-edged sword, I suppose, because there’s an answer for both options!

In another line of thinking, it would also give me time to come to terms with some limiting beliefs I have about my physical body. I have some very questionable self-esteem and beliefs about myself - yes, I’m going to therapy - that I would be able to work on if I had this body forever. I guess it also brings up the question of would I even want to live forever? I think I would only want to live forever under very specific circumstances

→ What would you do if you could stop time in the physical world?

I have follow-up questions! When I stop time, does everything around me stop? Does the aging process stop? Is it just like Piper’s power in Charmed where she literally stops everything around her? If I could stop time and all the processes that come with time, I’m not sure what I would do… Honestly, the only answer I can come up with is spend more quality time with my loved ones. Having a child has shown me how fickle and quickly time moves when you’re not watching every single second. If I could get some of the time back that I missed? Oh man, that would be wonderful.

→ Would you do things differently if you had endless time? What if you had significantly less time left available to you?

I think my answer for both of these questions includes doing more of what I enjoy, but for different reasons. If I had endless time, I run the risk of getting bored, especially if I continue every single day like it is right now. Wake up, caffeinate, work, homeschool, dinner, repeat, etc. I would want to split that up into more things that bring me joy - not that those things don’t, but endless time doing the same things on repeat make for a boring life!

Then if I had significantly less time, I would want to do more of what I love because there’s no point in living your last days/months/etc. being miserable doing things you’d rather not do. I would also be sure to spend as much time with my loved ones as I could, tell the people I care about that I love them, and live every second with gratitude.

→ How has time impacted or influenced how you practice?

This is a more difficult question to answer. Before I had a family, before I had a child, I felt like I had all the time in the world. It was okay to stay up late to get a ritual done because I could. Now that I have way more going on in my life - and this is over the span of 10+ years lol - I’ve come to realize that there are ways to sneak in a few seconds or minutes of magic or my practice in a day. I’ve also really started to enjoy the little moments, the small simple spells, and the magic that I can incorporate in my daily activities.

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I always end up thinking of time as a liminal space in my life. We either have too much or not enough, never an amount that’s just right. It’s constantly moving forward, so we think, but we never know where we’re going. Each second we experience has never been experienced before, and there’s magic in that newness!

[Sarafeena_Sage]

WWC Catch-up Entry #1

Dealing with the Divine- Deific Witch

I was inspired by the yarn dolls I’ve seen in the forum so I had to take a try at it myself…

I absolutely love them! After I made Brigid I made Freyja and Gaia! That’s a shield in Freyja’s hand, it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped I’ve cleansed and blessed them. I’m sure I’m going to make more!

[Sarafeena_Sage]

WWC Catch-up Entry #2

Dream Magick- Oneiric Witch

I made a dream pillow sachet to aid in prophetic and psychic dreams.
I used dried herbs and essential oils in about a 4’’ by 6’’ bag.

Mugwort- vivid dreams and dream recall
Lavender-E.O. and herb- sweet dreams
Rosemary-E.O. and herb- increases clarity paired with mugwort and for dream recall
Peppermint essential oil- visions of the future
Dandelion- enhanced power for prophetic dreams
Violets-E.O. and herbs- prophetic dreams, enhances night time magick
Marigold- visions
Yarrow- Prophetic dreams
Valerian essential oil- aids peaceful visions
Bergamot- restful sleep

I have a journal by my bed so I can write down my dreams. I used to keep a dream journal when I was in my 20’s. Gonna give it a go again with some help from Mother Earth’s beautiful gifts!

[Sarafeena_Sage]

WWC Catch up Entry # 3

Of Candles and Flame- Witch of the Flame

I made 2 Roll up Bees wax candles with essential oils and herbs for dreams. It goes with the Dream Sachet I made on my 2nd entry.
I added chamomile essential oil to one and Violet essential oil to the other. I added dry crushed herbs: lavender, mugwort, sage, rosemary, and angelica. I crushed very fine and only used very tiny amounts of each herb.

I will remove the ribbons before I light them. I plan to burn just a little each night while I say a prayer for prophetic dreams. I really like these candles because they are so easy to add things to.

[brandy20]

I have been really drawn to Malchite lately and I thought it’s because of the color but your picture description makes me wonder if it’s not calling out to me. I love your entry and it made me do some more research into Crystal! Yours are so beautiful.

[Artemisia]

Catch-Up! - Weekly Challenge Entries 1-3

I don’t know why I’m so nervous to post my challenge entry for Creative Crafting but I am! It’s not perfect and I made some mistakes. I might even redo it, but this is what I came up with on my first try at making a figurine but here goes…

1. Trying Something New - I chose to make a crystal grid for the first time and made one for Artemis. I used moonstone as the central stone, surrounded it with labradorite, and then placed amethyst and tiger’s eyes on the points. I finished it with clear quartz on the four corners.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   (close up on the labradorite and moonstone)

White Moonstone which represents the energy of the moon and intuition.
Amethyst crystals promote spiritual awareness and protection.
Tigers Eye symbolizes courage and strength.
Clear Quartz crystal at each of the four corners of the grid, which amplifies the energy of the other crystals and enhances clarity of thought.

I thoroughly enjoyed designing and making the grid HOWEVER I didn’t plan ahead well and created it on my desk which made it impossible to move without disrupting it. I did run across a great idea on the forum and am now looking for a glass candle plate for my next try!

2. Creatively Crafty - This was the most nerve-wracking and yet still fulfilling challenge. I decided not to go too overboard on my first try sculpting and created a basic female figure and embellished it from there. I have to say I am THE WORST at trying to draw a crescent moon! I don’t know how many times I tried and wiped it out. It still needs improvement.
   

   
   
   Creating the quiver with arrows was fun but I wimped out on trying to make an arrow with a point for the front and just used a charm. I did form the shape of the bow from sterling silver wire and still have yet to string it, but I ran out of time.
   
   
   
   I tried a couple of paint washes on her to make it look like an ancient clay figurine.
   
   
   
   And yes, the arms did fall off after baking while I was painting and had to be glued back on… ugh I’m not good at this!
   She is now charging in the moonlight overnight!
   
   
   
   I also made a stand for my cracked glass gazing ball. It needs a couple more coats of paint but I think it will work out great.
   
   

3. Potion Making - I made up a batch of mugwort essential oil to be used in annointing oil for my practice.

• Ordered some lovely mugwort,
• Filled a large glass jar with the dried mugwort, leaving a few inches of headspace at the top.
• Poured grapeseed oil over the mugwort leaves and flowers until they are completely covered.
• Stirred the mixture well, making sure that all the plant material is fully submerged in the oil.
• Sealed the jar tightly with a lid and place it in a warm, sunny spot for at least 4-6 weeks, shaking the jar every day. This is the step I’m on now
• After 4-6 weeks, I will strain the oil through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to remove the plant material.
• The oil will be infused with the essence of mugwort, which you can use as an anointing oil for your book of shadows.
• Store the oil in a dark glass bottle, in a cool and dark place.
  
  

Really really enjoyed these challenges as they continue to stretch my skills and expand my magickal practice!

[Assyla555]

Sounds very interesting. I’m going to have to do some research

[brandy20]

These all look so amazing!!!

[Mistress_Of_Herbs]

@Shine awwwee thanks so much. I try to keep everything as safe as i possibly can for my clients and myself. And if i can take away even a fraction of someones pain then i have to try.

[CelestiaMoon]

Awww these are adorable!

[Nixi]

CHALLENGE ENTRY

A healthy dose of Crystals
I couldn’t not do this one considering the experience with my neighbor and an instinctual choice and quick prayer and charge of a stone that even an old grumpy Dr said he had no other explanation for what he saw 13 days earlier simply disappearing
Crystals we’re one of the things that I was drawn to so many years ago and after coming back and trying to spark my memory by going through the basics, I have come back to crystals.
Some of you know about my issue with not being able to keep intrusive energy at bay, so far my solution has been to simply not leave the house.
I recently purchased a protection set that included many of the crystals that y’all suggested as a start. Just looking at the box has made me feel a way that I can’t describe but I haven’t done much more than pick them up a couple times and open the box when I feel what I can only describe as a dark blanket that fills me with every emotion at once. The presence of the box of protection crystals has actually pushed it away but it has never gone away
It always comes from the direction of the windows in my bedroom which is my safe space so I can only figure that it is a collection of energy from the surrounding outside area
This week I actually payed attention to the crystals and got to know them. For the past few days the ‘blanket’ cinders in but stays in the corner and I only feel a little of it
I’m actually thinking that I might be subconsciously feeling energy from everywhere sort of like static even when I try to pull my attention to my immediate suroundings and that is what is I’m calling anxiety even I’m outside.
Talking the box with me if I leave the house doesn’t really seem doable but maybe if I start using a purse again. I’m just going to continue to work with them and figure it out from there.
The other thing this week is that I realized that an arrangement of crystals on a print out of a pentacle is actually a crystal grid. I hadn’t a sort of large rose quartz that was a very meaningful gift from my oldest son and ones representing the elements on the corresponding points. They aren’t the traditional ones, I was taught to pick ones that mean that element to me. I’m not exactly sure what the grid is for since I just put it together without knowing what I was doing but the best way I can explain my current theory is that everything is connected and love and that web can facilitate healing anything
I’m adding pictures of my ‘grid’ and of my protection box that also has what appears to be a crystal grid on it but I have always found crystal grids to be intimidating and overwhelming so I’m leaving it be for now. Baby steps
And just so you know, my Altar and workspace are a work in progress
I’m still rearranging but I think that might be the place for those 2 things at least