Thanks! Have a blessed Ostara, krissie ! 
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Content/trigger warning: This post contains content about death. If this will make you uncomfortable, please feel free to skip over this post. I will blur any portions that discuss this topic.
I apologize for the length of this post. Feel free to skip to the bottom for a TLDR summary 
Challenges chosen:
- āThe Veil Between Worldsā
- āKitchen Witcheryā
For my Weekly Witchy Challenge this week, I was glad that it was a Catch-Up Week because Iām just now starting to get more involved in this community. I chose two topics Iām most interested in at the moment: kitchen witchery and communicating with, and honoring, those on The Other Side.
My main goal for choosing these two topics was to combine them to help me continue through my process of mourning the loss of my paternal grandma who was murdered by her doctor several years ago.
I must admit, this challenge was a bit more difficult for me than I anticipated it to be. I ended up having to modify my plans slightly to be able to make it work for my current circumstances, so Iāll have to circle back when the weather gets nicer and my circumstances change a bit.
I wanted to bake a batch of my late paternal grandmaās āSno Balls,ā but my dad recently had to make a dramatic change to his diet, and I didnāt bake the Sno Balls as planned; I wanted to be supportive of his recent dietary restrictions. Instead, I printed out a copy of her recipe and used it as a focal point for several meditation sessions.
Unfortunately, since I didnāt bake the Sno Balls, and am not comfortable sharing my grandmaās recipe, this post wonāt have any photos to break up the massive wall of text. 
During these meditation sessions, I meditated on her loving intention behind writing down the recipe, the memories I have of eating the Sno Balls made by her, and the time I got to spend with her before she passed. I was trying to open myself up to a visit from her. In a way, I felt her love enveloping me.
I didnāt get the one-on-one communication-type-of-visit I was really hoping for, but I did feel as if she was channeling her love for her family through the recipe, almost as if it were a type of sigil. I donāt feel comfortable sharing her recipe because that kind of stuff is very special, if not sacred, to me, but here is a recipe that is very similar to her Sno Balls.
When I was researching the correspondences of the main ingredients in my grandmaās Sno Balls, my connection with the recipe deepened profoundly.
Without going into too much personal family history detail, my paternal grandma grew up extremely poor. And when I say poor, I mean she had around $150 per month (if I remember correctly) to survive on poor. So poor that when she was a kid, she couldnāt afford to buy a single piece of chewing gum, so during the summer, she would pick tar off the road and chew it.
That being said, when she got older and gained financial stability, pecans were one of her favorite foods. She would cram as many pecans as she possibly could into her Sno Balls while allowing them to still hold together once baked.
According to Cunninghamās Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen ( CEWK ) by Scott Cunningham, pecans are associated with money and employment. I find it fascinating that my grandma who grew up in extreme poverty was so drawn to a nut that is associated with that which she didnāt have until her early adulthood.
Today, most Americans would classify these Sno Balls as cookies. However, they are not flattened like the cookies mentioned in CEWK (p. 68), and they are very similar to the Crescent Cakes on page 161 of Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham. Crescent Cakes and similar baked goods are often used in the āCakes and Aleā portion of ritual work. Therefore, Iām classifying my grandmaās Sno Balls as cakes for the purposes of this post.
In CEWK , Cunningham states that āAll cakes ā¦ are ruled by Venus and the element of water, and so are imbued with loving energiesā (p. 62). These Sno Balls were staples of any of my family get togethers, regardless of the season. They were always lovingly offered to us by my grandma.
In addition to the general association of cakes with love, sugar itself is also associated with love ( CEWK , p. 158). These cakes were lovingly rolled in powdered sugar, as if the powdered sugar was an extra layer of love. In addition, the sugar and butter used to make these little balls of love were heavily rationed during the World War II era, greatly increasing the strength of the intention of love when these were prepared āback in the day.ā
I could continue rambling about this topic forever, but I should stop here.
TLDR: I broke down my grandmaās recipe into its component parts and meditated on the meaning of the ingredients as they relate to the recipe and my family history. I attempted to open myself up to the stereotypical communication contact with my late grandma while meditating on one of her recipes. I didnāt get that stereotypical contact, but I did get a sense of her love, as well as a deeper appreciation of the many meanings and emotions behind her recipe. I began researching the magickal properties of common ingredients; in this case, sugar, butter, and pecans. Through my interest in kitchen witchery, I deepened my bond with my late grandma.
I also set out to learn more about when The Veil Between Worlds thinned, but most of the information I could find other than a discussion on here about the Veil also thinning around Ostara focused solely on the thinning around Samhain.
Other Sources:
- When And Where Is The Veil Thinnest?
- What is the Veil Between Worlds?
- Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
- Cunninghamās Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham
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I am happy to have this chance of getting to post in one of the challenges that I missed. I am greatful for any great opportunity that I may have in doing something great. There are many things to be thankful for and being here is one of them 
For my witchy CHALLENGE Catch up I have decided to do the giving gratitude challenge https://forum.spells8.com/t/weekly-witchy-challenge-giving-gratitude/4051giving.
(Link to the challenge)
I am a lover of poetry and have a collection of my very one, however I have decided to share a poem I have created with you just for this challenge below
GRATEFUL, THANKFUL, BLESSED BE
I am grateful for the God and Goddess
The ones that we hold so dear,
Who loves us, guide us and makes us whole
So grateful for this gift of gold.
I am thankful for this gift of life
For the four elements that makes life strive,
They calls us, enhances us, it draws me and you
So thankful, for I am one of the chosen few.
Blessed beyond all measures, I know who I am
A soul of light, full of love, a child of the Devine.
Iām grounded, rounded, created a powerful being.
With a free spirit and harm to none,so mote it be.
I am Grateful, Thankful, Blessedā¦
Created by ; NA aka NickWick
Live Lā¤ve & LšÆght the way
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This is a beautiful poem 
Thank you for sharing this with us! 
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Thank you so much for your words of encouragement . Happy you like itā¦
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I am now posting a second CHALLENGE that I was interested in, I was here with the group then yet it was something I always wanted to do.
The CHALLENGE of Spells and Strings
My string knots was intentend to have all my goals and wishes manifest since it was my first time doing a knot spell I had decided to use the guide of the knot magic steps that I found below:
Photo from: Pinterest.com
I lit a candle meditated on out all my intentions and goals that i wanted to accomplish , I went ahead and ride simple knots into my twine, while I said the follow words at the end.
May all goals and wished manifest
For the better of my highest good,
With harm to none, so mote it be.
Picture of my knot spell string
Not a master of the knots as yet 
but it is the intention behind the knot that matters.
Love & Lightš«
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I saw the āBy knot of one, the spellsā begunā¦ā spell somewhere else and have been wanting to try it out! I may have to now! 
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I think now indeed is the right time 
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I just wanted to share an update with my adventures in this weekās challenge that Iāve set for myself to combine the āKitchen Witcheryā and āThe Veil Between Worldsā challenges. I had a massive breakthrough today.
I was taking a shower and imagining the soap washing away all of my negative energies and the water carrying the negativity down the drain. The words ācross the veilā suddenly popped in my head seemingly from nowhere, so I finished rinsing off and sat down and began meditatating. (I knowā¦ Iām a total water hog ā Iāve been trying to get better about it 
If it makes anyone feel better, we get our water from a private well on our property, so Iām at least not wasting city water )
In my meditation, I just kept myself open to whatever happened. Much to my surprise, I got a visit from Genevieve, whose name popped in my head a few months ago as someone who was related to me somehow. I was able to ācross the veilā so to speak, and asked Genevieve what she wanted my relationship with her to be. I didnāt get much of an answer to that question, but when I asked if she was the one who guides me in my cooking, she said yes! So now I know whoās leading me when Iām cooking
I felt another presence, and asked what their name was. They said George Washington [insert my family surname here]. I know George Washington [surname redacted] to be my several-times-great paternal grandfather. I asked him what, if any, messages he had for me, and he told me that he and the rest of my ancestors are happy with the person Iāve grown into, and that Iām a great person to carry down the family tradition of being a male with a W-name. (George Washington [surname] went by āWashā and āWalshā according to my family has said about our history. Wash/Walsh was also the first (to our knowledge) male in the family to go by a name that started with W.)
Needless to say, it was a very moving experience to find out that Genevieve is the one guiding my cooking and that my ancestors are proud of me
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@AliceInWonderdab , theyāre beautiful! Iām the same! Iām all about thrifty and making my own tools as much as possible. Definitely cheaper but with your own created intentionsā¦
Blessed be.
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Lovely poem @NickWick! Thatās so great! And what a pretty knot spell! Youāre going so well!
Wow. Wonderful work @Jewitch! Iāve never had something like that happen to me, youāre lucky!
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Iām here! I missed the Of the Element of Water challenge so hereās my answer to it. A tea blessing.
I know that others have written tea blessings but I wanted one of my own for day to day. Here it is:
Goddess of the root and leaves,
Hear me now and listen to me, please!
The water gets stirred and the sugar dissolves,
Let the tea be infused with Your love and resolve.
Bless me with Your patience and donāt stray,
Stay by my side throughout the day!
Blessed be!
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WE HAVE THE SAME SET! Only I got them all in yellow! Weāre twins 
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The cat tarot looks so adorable
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Knotty & Thrifty
Greetings all, I have yet learned how to link a new post and connect to this one so I will have to post it here.
I like doing knot work, I use it often when I am making bracelets, charms, and other witchamacallit things in my practice. I do a witches ladder when casting during a ritual to seal the spell. But I also like saving money and I have found many things around my house that I have had for years and they have found a place in what I do. Today I have made an elemental knot bracelet and the items were either found at the dollar store or a sale bin.
Have an amazing day and Blessed be.
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@NickWick , what a great spell! Iāve never tried knot spells. I should try it. Always feel itās over my head lolā¦
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Thatās beautiful work! Really well done!
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One more for Lotions & Potions - Iām a big fan of oils and sprays but I always wanted to try making a balm so I ordered bees wax and lavender buds a month or so ago but had not attempted to do anything with them until today. So I am using the items already listed along with lavender, vanilla, and camphor essential oils. Iām using hemp oil as a base oil.
Attempt number one did not go as planned as I believe I had too much bees wax and not enough base oil, but since the mixture is already blended I melted everything down again, added a little more base and half the bees wax mix (will save the rest for another time). I used lavender because it is a stress reliever, vanilla because it is good against toxins, and camphor because it helps to relieve pain and itching and is also good to help clear congestion. Once it sets properly I will let you know how it works.
It has been a productive weekend and I am glad I was able to catch up on some of the past challenges.
Blessed be.
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Nick Wick
Very beautiful poem thank you!
Jeannie
Blessed be!
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A zodiac candle holder sounds amazing, @Susurrus! The zodiacs are tied to all of the elements, so an arrangement of all of the signs together can definitely represent elemental balance 
Canāt wait to see it!
A rosemary diffusion is a beautiful way to invoke the benefits of the Air Element- well done, @Kasandra! 
Your cat deck is adorable, and I think it is so exciting you are working on your novels! 
Beautifully done on your readings- and Iām cheering you on as you write! 
Iām so glad you were able to reconnect with your grandma through her Sno Balls (they sound delicious! 
) @Jewitch! You are very thoughtful for adapting the recipe so your father could enjoy they too- I am sure he appreciated it 
Recipes are living memoirs of the people who wrote them- it is wonderful your grandmotherās love carried through to you from across the veil. Beautifully done! 
Stunning gratitude poem, @NickWick! Reading your poems is a delight- I can feel your warm heart and appreciation carrying through your words Your knot magick is equally gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing- may all of your goals and wishes be looped in and tied in bountiful blessings! 
There are never enough tea blessings- and this is a stunning one to add to our collection, @Amethyst! 
Reading your poems always makes me smile. May every cup you hold in your hands be blessed (and tasty!) 
Thanks for sharing, Kasie!
For my friend @Saulamay and any others who would like to learn/want a reminder on how to link posts (aka turn the text blue and become clickable):
You can click here to learn how to hyperlink
-
While typing up your post, click on the hyperlink symbol (
) in the toolbox bar above. -
Paste the URL to the website of the content you are sharing
-
In the second box, type the name of the site or source you are linking to.
-
Click āOKā!
Beautiful entries, @Saulamay! I love the colors you incorporated in the bracelet- you are naturally talented at creating things (while staying thrifty! 
). Your balm took some experimenting, but it sounds like it is well worth the effort! I imagine it smells amazing- lavender and vanilla are a delightful combo Really great job!
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