Itās alive ITāS ALIVE mwahahaha 
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CHALLENGE ENTRY
As Above So Below
Exploring magical connections. Well what can be more magical than having a connection with a witchfather called Loki. So howās it work in the real world? 
Iāll go through some of the questions posed in this challenge.
1 What bonds are most important to you in your magical practice? For me Loki. I thought long and hard on this, would I be happy being a witch without him? No! Would my chaos magic flow so easily without him? No! Would my magical life be as fun, wacky and interesting without him? No! 
2 Am I am empath? Yes. Is it a blessing? Not really. A gift yes, blessing no. Itās exhausting if Iām honest, but Loki has been teaching me how to isolate it. So I donāt get overwhelmed. Heās introduced me to so many different ways of viewing life, that has helped me to feel peopleās feelings without absorbing them. To be aware that thereās a need and help, but not become it. I think Lokiās a Buddhist.
3 Is community important in your craft? Yes! I love Spells8 and everyone here. I think we grow and learn from each other. Community is very important to Loki too, it enhances our bond. How you treat others, what you put back into community, will really affect whether Loki will want to work with you.
4 Do you feel a connection with a deity? Hell yeah! Heās loud, in your face and will not be ignored. If Iām out of order, heāll plonk my face right in the butter.
He challenges my belief system constantly to the point where Iām not sure what it is anymore 
, he makes me walk through the dark to eliminate any fears, and introduces me to magical entities that would normally scare me, only to teach me that theyāre actually super nice (demons). Heās confusing, chaotic, fun but also very supportive and protective. I can literally feel when heās around. Thereās a buzz in the atmosphere, and any order in my brain starts to get slightly chaotic , I have to slow things down, thought wise, to get through the day (Buddha mantras are good for that) 
5 Is healing a key part of practice? Not sure. I canāt do reiki or anything like that, but I have a box by Lokiās altar. Itās my prayer box, to him, for very specific requests. I write these down, and they go into the box. So if any healing happens, itās Loki that does it, not me. I just ask for his help. I do send energy to others, but again thatās through Loki, so he gets the credit, Iām just the postman
So as above, Lokiās world is full of wonder, chaos, exploration and doing good in the community with a whole load of mischief and shenanigans, and as below? My life has been exposed to wonders, so much chaos my head burns , plenty of exploration with more to come, alot of tricks on me (my hubby bought me a beautiful box, I opened it and a dirty great big black spider lept out, made me scream (toyspider but looked real), yep Lokiās using him too now lol! (And I knows it was you Loki, as hubbyās terrified of spiders and would never have bought that! 
).
So yes what Loki does above, is done below. But in return Iām pretty sure I give him hell too, and add a little bit of that human haphazard chaos back to him, to mess up his world a bit too (just thinking how to trump the spider box to a God )
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You and me both! 
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Challenge Entry 1- Dragon Magic
I was at a pagan festival when someone asked me if Iāve ever read anything by Anne McCaffrey. They suggested I start with the Dragonriders of Pern. From there I could go backward or forward in time.
I was reluctant. Dragons werenāt my thing. However, I suspended my distrust and found a copy at the libraryā¦ and another in the seriesā¦ and another. I ended up quite enjoying them.
Iām a Leo. One would think Iād be perfect for a Dragonrider, a shoe-in for Impressing a giant of my own, possibly a golden leader.
Would I heroically fight Thread in a Fall? No. Iād actually be happier with a little blue dragon sitting on my shoulder like a parrot. I prefer to work behind the scenes, even though the big wigs often look down on the little people. If I can mix metaphores, here, working behind the scenes is like being the wind beneath the wings of those who get all the public attention. Less stress, more satisfaction.
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Challenge Entry: Foretelling the Future 
I am in the process of learning tarot and am getting better at trusting my intuition.
For this challenge, I reflected on the decks that I own and bought and cleansed and did a quick reading with a new one from my local shop.
My two oracle decks include Work Your Light and Everyday Witch. I displayed a couple of cards so you could see the artwork. They are both beautiful but very different decks. Whatās unique about the Everyday Witch deck is that it is like a choose your own adventure with the guidebook. Once you select a card, then there are several options in the book for each card: Divination (think regular oracle card information), Magic (spellwork), and Action (tells you to take action and do something based on the information on the card). I like this, because I get very caught up in reading and thoughts and I need to be called to action and doing things too!
My first tarot deck is a basic Rider-Waite deck to learn on. I keep it in a neat drawstring bag from Llewellyn with a clear quartz to cleanse.
This is the book I am learning tarot from. It is very easy to understand and colorful; a great reference guide as well.
For the tarot deck I just was influenced to buy today on the Wolf Full Moon 
This was The Mindās Eye Tarot. I knew I wanted to buy a second tarot deck because I wasnāt feeling connected or happy with my 1st tarot deck. Iād had it for a couple of months and it was fine, but it was not calling to me. It was not light in my hands. I felt way more connected and intuitive with my oracle decks. So I knew it wasnāt just me. I also wanted to hold a deck in my hands (to try it) before I bought it, so I set out to buy one in my local metaphysical store. They had a huge selection. At first I thought I wanted the Imbolc Oracle because I was so into the artwork with the Yule Oracle. But then I came back to the tarot decks. I felt many in my hands and checked them out, minis, bigs and for some reason they had a lot on fairies and cats (not really my vibe, but cool), and I happened upon this tarot deck behind three singing bowls, not really next to any other decks. I took it out and really liked the artwork. The shop worker immediately commented on it and said that it was a popular one. Then the owner came out and said that it was a good choice and had dreamy artwork. I had never heard of the artist or the deck previously. Hereās a photo and some of the cards to display the beautiful artwork. I love the dark background and you may not be able to see it in the photos but it has a deep gold gilded edge.
When I got home I smoke cleansed the deck and also knocked on it to remove any remnants from the store or from transit. I decided to interview the deck and asked three questions:
- What work are we meant to do together?
- What are you here to teach me about myself?
- What card best describes you as a deck?
I shuffled and asked each question one by one, shuffling in between, and drew the following cards:
What work are we meant to do together?
The Magician
Manifesting and using your creativity. Newfound power. Exploring skill and talent.
What are you here to teach me about myself?
The Star
Healing, peace, truth, and tranquility. Renewal and inspiration. The Star Card reminds you of who you really are and helps you to rediscover your true purpose in life.
What card best describes you as a deck?
Justice
Truth, honesty, impartiality, fairness, and balance.
Iām excited to continue working with this tarot deck. It has a beautiful feel in hand and the artwork is wonderful to look at. But even more important, the messages seem clear and on point already and I feel connected with the deck. 
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Challenge Entry #1 - Powerful Protection
I was taking advantage of the full moon 
to start my first step in my application process (which Iāll talk about after Iāve completed it) and decided to do more spellwork 
I liked the spell @SilverBear posted to Banish a Negative Person and this needed doing to protect myself from just such a person. 
I donāt know why the quote from Labyrinth struck me but the last lineā¦ āYou have no power over meā echoed in my head when I finished this spell. Very calming, empowering and uplifting magick.
(Pinterest)
Full Labyrinth Quote from Jim Henson
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have no power over me!ā
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I did the bay leaf spell with my cauldron on this beautiful wolf moon
One challenge down! Catching up. And got clear about pushing back a project start one more week cause my guides told me to
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CHALLENGE ENTRY LUCK MAGICK 
I had an entry prepared for this challege last week, but I missed the deadline. I had planned on doing a spell ribbon for luck, but I randomly came across a bookā:blue_book: Iāve had since I was teenager:
So, I thought Iād take a more academic
approach and research the origin of some superstitions for good luck. Such as horseshoesā:racehorse:, pennies 
, rabbitās feet 
, crossing fingers 
, etcā¦ Itās interesting to note that some of these have both pagan and christian origins.
I found 2 articles, Iāll reference them below. Hereās a few I found interesting:
Knocking on wood
Pagan explanation: In ancient times pagans believed spirits 
lived in trees. 
Knocking on wood would be to ask the spirits for help or favor. 
Christian explanation: Wood represented the holy cross. Therefore knocking on wood is asking God for luck.
Blowing out birthday candles 
Ancient Greeks made moon shaped cakes 
in honor of Artemis to petition her favor.
It is also believed that the smoke from the candles will carry your wish to heaven.
DONāT FORGET: telling your wish to others may cause bad luck!
Smashing dishes
It is a Danish tradition on New Yearās Eve to smash your dishes. This is a way to release your anger 
so you donāt carry it over into the new year. The bigger your pile of dishesā:plate_with_cutlery:, the bigger your luck!
I hope I paraphrased clearly! 
Hope you enjoy the articles! 
GOOD LUCK with your challenge this week! 
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CHALLENGE ENTRY 1 - ART WITCH
This week I decided to get the sketch pad and pe cils out to create images in honour of the deities I work with:
Osiris
Isis
Horus
Blessed Be
Alan
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Challenge Entry- Wizardry of Words
This is the bedside book Iāve been working in, lately. I bought it because of the pocket and second book included.
It is a habit of mine to tear pages out of larger books. Maybe they are easier to handle that way. I do rewrite keeper ideas for my other books- to allow myself to study unrelated material, make mistakes, and reorganize keepers. At any rate, I have lots more blank books to fill, all with unicorns on their covers:
The mini backpack is full of miniature blank books, too. It was my original intention to get my books ready for publication and hand write them into the blank books. That hasnāt gone as hoped. Moving too much without personal transportation makes it hard to carry such treasures.
Instead, I am choosing to use them up as notebooks- to lighten my load. Iām starting with the larger books because they seem to take longer to use up. Thatās my own imagination, of course.
Writing or creativity seems to be an on again, off again proposal. I used to use The Artistās Way to try to even out the roller coaster, but after 17 years, Iāve learned to accept my patterns.
Donāt get me wrong! The Artistās Way contains lots of fabulous writing prompts and some good Shadow Work guidance! If it didnt, I wouldnāt have kept with it for 17 years! I wouldnāt have a copy backed up for personal use even today.
At the moment, my creativity is in the off position. All of it. I was hoping for one of my wild breakthroughs this Spring. During a breakthrough, inspiration comes faster than I can complete, so I take notes for later use. It doesnāt help during the times when my creativity turns off, but tides me through medium times.
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Challenge entry 1: Fairies and Fae
So I picked this first because there was an incident earlier this week in which the Tooth Fairy, exhausted from a hard dayās labor collecting teeth, completely forgot that my 7-year-old daughter had a tooth under her pillow. Many tears were shed, but after calming the child down, we decided the best course of action was to draw a beautiful picture of fairies and leave THAT under the pillow as well, in order to draw the Tooth Fairy there. It was clearly a success, as she woke up the next morning with five whole dollars (the usual $3 plus interest, apparently).
Iām digressing. Anywayā¦
I had picked up a book several years ago during a quick 3-hour-long run into Barnes and Noble, and there it sat on my shelf, one of my āSomeday, Eventuallyā books (I have anā¦ embarrassing amount of those books). Well, I decided to pluck it down, dust it off, and see what it held.
Lots of tales of fairy folk and other thingsā¦
The Table of Contents goes on for seven pages, and contains other sections (such as Giants and Tāyeer-Na-N-Oge), and Iāve been having fun thumbing through it. I really like this poem:
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@georgia I love the unicorn book with the pocket and mini book! I hope inspiration strikes soon! Maybe Imbolc will bring some new energies for you!
@DreamWithin we did the same thing once! I felt so bad. We did a little trick though. Once my son was out of bed, we put the money in the pillowcase. Then we called him back in his room again and Mom magically found it! 
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I love the Labyrinth such a classic tale! 
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Yay for catch up! I have missed the last few challenges and have a lot of catching up to do. Iāve had a rough year. Lol! The crazy life and weather has me wanting to curl up in a ball and pull the covers over my head.
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That sounds inviting. If only the mess that caused the feeling would go away while we are curled up like thatā¦ or inspiration would strike to help get us through when we unfurled!
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Challenge Entry 3- Magical Names
I chose to write out numerology and research my names- one chosen in youth, and one given to me at birth.
When I was young, I thrilled at the idea of being called by a different name- to help purge myself of the negative energies piled upon me in connection with that birth name. I was honestly ashamed of my name.
The purging didnāt work as well as I had hoped, but I clung to the name I used on Unicornās Harvest until I was about 40 years old. Then something odd began to happen.
I was finally far enough away from the abusers that they couldnāt control me anymore. New Mexico was a whole different world, and I was free to be myself. I couldnāt drop everything, but I sure tried!
It wasnāt until last year that I realized I didnāt need that second name anymore. Iāve actually become comfortable in my own skin. Maybe it took illness and insults to show me what I wasnāt thinking anymore.
At any rate, I have chosen to keep my birth name as my magickal name. I am Magickal.
So are each of you, no matter what choices you make in life.
Blessings Be!
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Reading such a variety is my favorite part of catch-up week. Iām particularly loving it this week. 
Iāve been using some of my quiet time to work on my entries. One down and Iām thinking maybe Chaos Magic next. 
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Challenge Entry 
I chose to tell about deities I currently work with.
Lucifer is my first and most likely my patron. How I came to work with him was I could not get his name out of my head and it blossomed from there. Heās quiet, thoughtful, precise, and just lovely
My second is Satan. I just grew great interest in him through research of Lucifer. I decided to meditate on his sigil and poof there he is. Heās the most peaceful god Iāve encountered. Who only wants to help us and help further humanity.
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Weekly Witchy Challenge Catch up-Entry #1- The Magick of Sound
A few weeks ago, I was in my favorite crystal shop. They have sound bowls in the shop with a sign that says 30 second play only. The owner said the 5 year olds that come into the shop drive them crazy with the singing bowls. I have a small singing bowl, but of course, I fell in the love with the large ones. The price on the large ones were $179.99. To pricey for me, so I walked away. I couldnāt get those singing bowls out of my head. When I got home, I started looking up singing bowls to see if I could get one cheaper. I found one on Amazon for around $60.00. When it came in, I shocked at how big it was. It was the same size as the ones in the shop. Everyday, I start my day with sound (my neighbors do too, but not by choice)!
I found an interesting article online at the Sova Resort. Undoubtably they must use sound bowls. I never knew sound had so many benefits, I just know I love bell sounds and singing bowl sounds. Here is what I learned:
Sounds affect all three human levels: the physical, mental and spiritual:
The physical effect of vibrations on the body:
- deep relaxation and muscle regeneration
- pain relief for joints, muscles, sciatica, headache and migraine, the digestive system, headaches and migraine, spine injuries, shoulders, improved blood circulation
- better digestion
- atoms, molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in a more synchronised way
- better energy flow
- elimination of toxins from the body
- better immune system
Mental or emotional effect:
- relaxed mind, mental/emotional tensions and blockages are eased
- better concentration
- inner feelings are activated and released
- more energy and strength in everyday life
- alleviated mental or emotional pain
- improved self-confidence, boosted creative and productive potential
Spiritual effect:
- a positive feeling of self
- better balance and harmony in your life
- experiences of bliss
- cleansing of chakras (energetic centres and the nadi ā astral channels)
- a higher frequency reaches our innermost essence, which boosts our energy and our vibrational level
- the way to a more intense and higher vibration of love is open
I also have windchimes everywhere in my yard. One of them is so big, it sounds like church bells. Iām sure that drives my neighbors crazy too.
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