🕑 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE ~ Catch-Up!

[Susurrus]

I’m actually looking at the list of the most recent. I know that the last “Catch Up” I had gotten all caught up. Then enter the unintended “Leave”… so I think I was at least trying to keep up with the Challenges at one point… & now it’s more of a Exactly how long was I out of office? Because… the summer… kind of got out of hand for me & time was kind of not a thing… Honestly it just dawned on me… Not only is it the END of August… uh… my daughter starts Freshman year on Tuesday & I’m still trying to figure out what happened from around mid-July (Maybe closer to around the week of the County Fair ) to now & & how we got to here so fast since then

So challenge today… figuring out which ones I missed … then… working on them throughout the weekend. While at the same time being like… Oh my … my baby… is no longer a baby & is in high school & I don’t want to accept that yet

[CelestiaMoon]

@tracyS I love your entry so much, your way of doing magick really resonates with me My entry for the same challenge was also about embracing the chaos I’m still using the potion I intuitively created, with a few sets of changes, it’s always a little different

[tracyS]

@CelestiaMoon I just read your entry, fabulous. And thankyou

[CelestiaMoon]

Thank you~
I’m just enjoying this chaos connection so much!

[tracyS]

“Things are messy before they are perfect. Nothing worthwhile is neat and tidy.”

This is a quote from The Wheel of Time. I thought it summed up chaos really well.

[lisa67]

#Weekly Witchy Challenge - Catch up! (EDIT):

Yay! Busy week and I barely had time to look at anything. There are definitely some items I wanted to get back to! So happy for the Witchy Challenge - Catch up! There are so many great entries already

Entry #1 for Catch-up Wholesome Healer

Wholesome Healers – Healer

Interesting topic for discussion and in reading definition(s) this would suggest much of my “inner” character as the “outer” image portrayed is completely different. My inner compassionate nature has me drumming up quick cures, assessing illnesses, diets, pain and ailments, yet what comes out my mouth most often times is from a very critical POV - but not to worry, I came to terms with that a some time ago as a “trade off” in protecting my Empathic-self.

An intuitive quick first aid item helped a co-worker with a bee sting. I went outside and chewed up a mullien leaf, and used it as a poultice and said to keep it on the welt for 20 minutes. It worked, and she nicknamed me the “Office Witch” - there were various other suggestions I had given her previously that worked

From time to time I suffer from nosebleeds - so what to do with a bad one? VINEGAR! Yes, I said vinegar! Some may disagree with me and that’s okay, but I use it without any hesitation - either ACV or White works. I use a 1:1 ratio with water, soak a cotton ball, and up the nostril it goes. The vinegar acts as a cauterizing agent with the blood vessels.

Use what you have, know what is around you locally - plants, grasses, trees, teas, oils - and consider what you could use or learn from those plants. If there is a natural disaster, and we are seeing many of those, you may not have access to modern conventions and will have to resort to treating with what’s on hand!

Entry #2 - for Catch-up - Caster of Calm

Let a Witch Unwind! – Caster of Calm

This discussion piggybacks onto the wholesome healing as I try to get away from modern medicine if a natural cure, method, et al will work just as well. Let’s just talk about Lavandula angustifolia! Just the word alone means “to wash”. Early cultures used Lavender in the mummification process (@Cosmic_Curiosity you would appreciate this) as it was the belief that lavender purified the body and mind. Herbalists classify lavender as a potential “nervine” as it applies to the effects on the body.

I love using lavender in my shampoos, body spray and oils. Lavender may be used to ease insomnia, anxiety, hair loss, headaches, acne, burns, eczema/psoriasis (and I have seen it work on severe cases), wound healing and mood issues.

I use Lavender EO as I practice morning and evening Abhyanga. If you have not tried this, please do it. This is an a form of Ayurvedic therapy which is a traditional system of medicine from India, and offers plenty of very wonderful benefits. My Other Half has quite a 'fiery" disposition and this calms him right down, along with a good dose of Wild Lettuce tincture!

Entry #3 - for Catch-up - Witch of the Veil:

The Veil Between Worlds - Witch of the Veil

YAY! My eldest sister is over-the-top with October and pushing her energy high with the coming Samhain “SAH-win” celebrations - and we actually celebrate over several days. I posted some of our traditions that we engage in during this holiday in the “Wheel of the Year” Pagan Holidays.
Wheel of the Year: Pagan Holidays – Year-Round Witch

We start our festivities in September with a mid-month family gathering where we prepare dishes, make merry and then vote on who brought the best flavor to the party, and there is a trophy to be had! We will be doing the Autumn equinox, Mabon, with painting pumpkins and a little ritual for us sisters then at the end of the month - a bon fire and smores!

Moving into October, we like to spend a little time traveling, and then we come back to lots of music and dance on the weekends, and prior to Samhain, we will gather at my niece’s house and pick out pumpkins for carving and dinner - and for the entire week leading up to Samhain, we will do small period of personal reflections, alters for ancestors, nature walks, dinners and this year we will do a Venice themed celebration!

[MeganB]

I know I’ve missed a few challenges and I say it every time, but I need to look over my spreadsheet!

I was thinking for the…I think it was the visualizations challenge? I don’t remember which one right now, but I was thinking about creating my Inner Temple in The Sims 4 and showing everyone! That might be fun!

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry #1 - Lunisolar Calendar and Chinese New Year
First I chose to look up my zodiac element (which I’d never heard of before) as I already knew my animal was the Pig. Turns out I’m a Metal Pig fwtw

I was going to do a forecast spread for the rest of the year (but that’s only 3 months) or the next 6 (but I want to keep the years separate for now) so I opted to try out the Personal Horoscope by @BryWisteria

I have been using my The Raven’s Dream tarot daily since I used it a couple of weeks ago for the first time in the tea ritual and have been using it daily since then. It’s eerily accurate and for whatever reason, I was afraid of what it would tell me, so I looked through my decks for inspiration. I pulled out The Embroidered Graveyard Oracle and Seed & Sickle Oracle and thought I’d see how they worked out. Since we’re heading into fall, I felt like the two fit the time of year especially since Seed & Sickle comes with a dusk guide to reading the cards, which is more akin to shadow work and reflection.

While I loved reconnecting with the silky shuffle and gilded edges of the Forest, the cards pulled and perhaps the intent of the deck itself didn’t lend itself to this spread.

I did note the cards and recorded them and their meaning in my book, just to be sure, and then turned to the Seed & Sickle deck.

I honestly don’t know why I don’t use this deck as much anymore. It appeals to my Green nature, and love of plants, flowers, and seeds. These worked much better for the task and the messages made sense to me. Gosh, I love this deck…

Then I figured I needed to get it over with and see what The Raven’s Dream tarot had to tell me

No shockers but it was as it usually is, spot on about the things I’d rather avoid or I’m struggling with.

Enjoyed doing something a little the same and a little different!
(metal pig… get it? )

I’ll get another challenge completed tomorrow and the third on Sunday. Excited about them both!

[Artemisia]

Love love love your artwork, beautiful colors!!! and I love they are all in profile

[Susurrus]

I love reading everyone’s entries! It’s probably 1 of my favorite things to do each week. I’m sad that I’ve missed so much! I especially enjoy reading how everyone approaches the challenges in their own unique way.

I knew that I missed some, but also that during the last “Catch-Up” I had gotten… for the most part all caught up Then I go looking for the ones that I have missed & went… *"Huh… sooooo… apparently I was kind of Out of Office for longer than I thought. Time definitely go away from me this summer I actually have 5 to catch up on… although 1 of them is carry over from the mostly caught up… the other 4… are from the past 10. So not like me at all!

But, not going to entertain that sadness right now. I have work to do! Which makes me kind of excited to be getting back to my practice! The Catch Up challenges are probably my favorite just for this reason. Plus, it will help me to get back to well, me.

Now to decide which order that I would I like to do these in

[Ostara]

Challenge Entry

Cat Magick

A few weeks ago I was looking through my Book of Shadows and I came across a prayer to Bastet. Some of you know about my cat getting out and she showed up two weeks later skin and bones. I had prayed this prayer to Bastet to keep her safe and bring her home. I completely forgot about the prayer. She answered my prayer and I didn’t even thank her. I felt really bad about that, so I set an altar up for her. Within a day or two after setting up the altar I saw a feral cat outside and she was skinny, almost blind, and covered in mange. I said a prayer to Bastet to take care of her and if she didn’t make it, to let her last days be good. I bought some mange pills from Amazon and fed her in the morning and evening away from the other feral cats. She is gaining weight, the mange is gone and her hair is growing back. I will continue to care for her daily, but I am sure Bastet saved her.

[Shadeweaver]

Challenge Entry #3

@BryWisteria

Earth-Friendly Witchcraft - Earth Witch

This years new garden. I Love my flowers, but the heat of summer is not my friend. The elements and the Great Mother are my devotions. The Earth is our provider for all things as we receive our energy from the Sun.

and then there’s my babies that are getting big now. I Love and appreciate all my friends and they give me routine and responsibility.

[CelestiaMoon]

Awww, you’re my hero @Ostara, it always warms my heart when someone takes the time to help the little kitties

[tracyS]

@Shadeweaver baby chicks? Aww cute

[CelestiaMoon]

@Shadeweaver

and then there’s my babies that are getting big now. I Love and appreciate all my friends and they give me routine and responsibility.

Awww, sweet little fluffs!

[Ostara]

Thanks for sharing Shadeweaver. You made me smile!

[Ostara]

Thank you Celestia. I’m happy she is doing well.

[catherine11]

Challenge Entry-Thrifty Witch
So I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out exactly what to do for this.
Many years ago, power beads were super popular, yes I am dating myself saying that having your arms loaded up with lots of them was the thing. Mine got lost in the fracas of time, but I did like them for reasons I couldn’t quite explain. Years later, I found some inexpensive shambala style bracelet kits, similar idea, different look. I bought as many as they had and made them up.
Present day, I’m puttering around, trying to figure out what to do about the challenge, and I remember, hmm, I had wanted some crystal jewelry as a little pocket thing for trial, let’s see if I can find those bracelets, use what you have as opposed to buying new. I had made 5 or 6, but so far I’ve only found 1. The others may have been lost in the fracas of time and a move, but I did find the one featuring sodalite. So now that I’ve found it, I will need to cleanse it and activate it, but the hard work of finding it is done.

[Ostara]

Challenge Entry #2

Magick on the Go

I have two portable altars.

The first one is a mint container that has birthday candles, matches, a pentagram, a tiny altar cloth, a candle holder, some casting salt, incense, some crystals and a bay leaf and a safe travels sigil. Who knew you could fit so many things in a mint container? I carry it in my purse everyday. You never know when you may need an altar, right?

The second one is a wooden chest. I use this one when I want to do a ritual outside. In this one I have candles, matches, an altar cloth, a chalice, an athame, incense, Incense holder, candle snuffer, casting salt, and a pentagram.

[crystal59]

This is the perfect travel kit! Everything a witch would need on the go and you alter to Bastet is lovely I know she’s honored for your gratitude and I’m so glad to hear your cats doing better I always love seeing your challenges