@CelestiaMoon I just read your entry, fabulous. And thankyou 
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Thank you~ 
Iām just enjoying this chaos connection so much! 
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āThings are messy before they are perfect. Nothing worthwhile is neat and tidy.ā
This is a quote from The Wheel of Time. I thought it summed up chaos really well.
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#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 ā Healer
Interesting topic for discussion and in reading definition(s) this would suggest much of my āinnerā character as the āouterā 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 ātrade offā 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 āOffice Witchā - 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 thatās 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 whatās on hand! 
Entry #2 - for Catch-up - Caster of Calm
Let a Witch Unwind! ā 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. Letās just talk about Lavandula angustifolia! Just the word alone means āto washā. 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 ānervineā 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 āSAH-winā celebrations - and we actually celebrate over several days. I posted some of our traditions that we engage in during this holiday in the āWheel of the Yearā Pagan Holidays.
Wheel of the Year: Pagan Holidays ā 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 nieceās 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!
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I know Iāve missed a few challenges 
and I say it every time, but I need to look over my spreadsheet!
I was thinking for theā¦I think it was the visualizations challenge? I donāt 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!
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Challenge Entry #1 - 
Lunisolar Calendar and Chinese New Year
First I chose to look up my zodiac element (which Iād never heard of before) as I already knew my animal was the Pig. Turns out Iām a Metal Pig fwtw
I was going to do a forecast spread for the rest of the year (but thatās 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 Ravenās 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. Itās 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 Iād see how they worked out. Since weāre 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 didnāt 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 donāt know why I donāt 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 deckā¦
Then I figured I needed to get it over with and see what The Ravenās Dream tarot had to tell me
No shockers but it was as it usually is, spot on about the things Iād rather avoid or Iām struggling with.
Enjoyed doing something a little the same and a little different!
(metal pigā¦ get it? )
Iāll get another challenge completed tomorrow and the third on Sunday. Excited about them both!
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Love love love your artwork, beautiful colors!!! and I love they are all in profile
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I love 
reading everyoneās entries! Itās probably 1 of my favorite things to do each week. Iām sad that Iāve 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 āCatch-Upā I had gottenā¦ for the most part all caught up Then I go looking for the ones that I have missed & wentā¦ *"Huhā¦ soooooā¦ 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 onā¦ although 1 of them is carry over from the mostly caught upā¦ the other 4ā¦ 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
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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 didnāt 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 didnāt 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.
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Challenge Entry #3
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 thereās my babies that are getting big now. I Love and appreciate all my friends and they give me routine and responsibility.
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Awww, youāre my hero @Ostara, it always warms my heart when someone takes the time to help the little kitties 
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Awww, sweet little fluffs! 
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Thanks for sharing Shadeweaver. You made me smile!
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Thank you Celestia. Iām happy she is doing well.
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Challenge Entry-Thrifty Witch
So Iāve 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 couldnāt 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, Iām 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, letās 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 Iāve 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 Iāve found it, I will need to cleanse it and activate it, but the hard work of finding it is done.
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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.
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This is the perfect travel kit! Everything a witch would need on the go 
and you alter to Bastet 
is lovely I know sheās honored for your gratitude and Iām so glad to hear your cats doing better 
I always love seeing your challenges
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CHALLENGE ENTRY 2
Peering into Past Lives
This was an intriguing challenge for me as I have some unconventional, perhaps even conflicting views with regards to past lives and the afterlife in general. Iām going to start by answering the prompt questions that were set out on the original challenge page:
Do you believe in reincarnation?
Sort of. I believe that we have all been here in some form before. I think it is unfinished or u fulfilled pursuits in a past life that drive us and influence us in this life. I have a fascination with the Titanic, I always have, so much so that people often say I think you were on that ship in a previous life. Its a pretty casual and common thing to say when someone has an intense like of something but what if thereās more to it? Am I so keen on the details of what happened that night because of the tragic nature or is it an attempt to understand what happened to me or my loved ones in a previous life? Does this fascination fill the gap that was left empty in a past lifeā¦perhaps! What I do not believe is that we are immediately reborn at the end of a past life and this is where it may differ from others. I am a believer in the spirit world and that our loved ones who pass enter another placeā¦ where or what that place is, I donāt know. Ive had too many personal experiences for me to deny the existence of the spirit world.
I believe that when someone passes, they need to heal, particularly if their passing was traumatic. Iāll give an example using my late brother. I was meditating for a sign that he was OK. He didnāt come but what did happen was I was in a place surrounded by pillars and a figure (who I beleive was Osiris) said he had Callum, that he was safe but he was not healed enough to communicate. This links to work I have been reading by Dolores Cannon where she describes a healing temple where spirits heal before moving on. I believe that the moving on is a choice. You choose when or if you want to reincarnate, particualrly if something is left unresolved. It is not forced upon you. I also do not think that our loved ones are just hanging around waiting on usā¦time is an Earthly and man made concept that does not exist in the spirit world. For me, our loved ones are not twidling their thumbs waiting for us. Years for us are like seconds for them. Rather than reincarnate, they may choose to help and support us as spirit guides. Iād recommend the Book Between Death and Life: Conversations with a spirit by Dolores Cannon.
Do you believe that is possible for someone to come back to life in some way, shape, or form?
Isis brought Osiris back to life and Jesus was also resurrected. However, even this was temporary as Osiris realised he was no longer suited to this world and instead moved onto oversee the afterlife. Jesus only remained on Earth long enough to instruct his disciples before ascending to Heaven. Even our deities from different beliefs have faced and overcome death, but were unable to remain on Earth. Our amazing medical professionals bring people back minutes, even hours after the heart has stopped. However, I believe there is a point after which there is no way back. That is when we cross over, heal and make the decision to reincarnate or remain as a guide with our loved ones.
Meditation
I did a past life regression meditation which lasted around 35 minutes. It was a deeply touching and vivid experience and upon waking, I made sketches of what I saw.
There was a sense of ancient times, wearing sandals and a white tunic in the heat of the desert. I saw myself with tanned skin and shaved head. The name Anpu was mentioned. I saw myself holding a scroll with a temple. A blueprint perhaps. I was on a building site. A pillar toppled. That was the final scene of that life. This may simply been in my imagination due to my connection to Egypt or is my dedication to Egyptian deities because I did not see the finished temple and get to worship them at the time? It is all.so fascinating.
For fun I did this past life quiz and look what I got 
I realise this is a long post but hopefully it os one of interest and one that gives some food for thought.
Blessed be
Ala
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Challenge Entry #1: Ancestor Work
My first challenge entry this week is for the Ancestor Work Challenge.
One of the aspects of my practice that I feel most passionately about is working with Ancestors. I am still very much in the beginning stages of connecting with, honoring, and working with my Ancestors. However, I have a strong connection to one of my Ancestors, my paternal great-grandma, who at this point has been my Guide in everything I do relating to food and cooking.
Long story short, I was meditating in the shower one day, and all of a sudden, a random name popped into my head, so I meditated on the name and questioned who that Spirit was. At that time, I found out that she was the Spirit that had always been with me in the kitchen ā and interestingly, the reason I could tell when something I was cooking needed more salt just by smelling it. As time passed, I began consciously working with her while I was in the kitchen, and our bond deepened and she was present with me more often.
One day, I was looking through old family photos and came across a picture and instantly felt the presence of my kitchen Guide, and just knew that the picture was of her. I asked my dad who the photo was of ā sure enough, it was my paternal great-grandmother!
I am continuing to get to know her and learning to work with her.
In addition to working with my kitchen Guide, I am also going to read Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices by Ben Stimpson for Book Club XXXI to hopefully deepen my practices and gain new perspectives.
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