Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Congrats to the Coven! 🎊

[Jeannie1]

Janelle,
You share a special place in my opinion, I am glad you made it back on the forum. I am glad to be apart of this coven too! Thank you for sharing your gratitude! It is transcendent watching everyone grow!

Garnet,
I am so glad, to hear you Love your life! I love your life back! LOVE YOUR LIFE! I always loved to help others.

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@Garnet

I’ve been gifted with a small & transient amount of healing in
my hands. I run my hands over a person & when I feel increased heat, I gather it into my fist & throw it toward the west so the setting sun can carry it away with it.

I believe I do a healing technique too by whisping negative energy out with my hands when the body is not well. I think it’s a shamanic practice or somewhat message therapy. I think that’s what you were talking about. It’s energy work and just like you were describing where my hands were warm. It’s like activating frequencies.
I like that you value yourself and others that is a great quality to have! I love my life too and even if there are times I try to make sense of the conscious world and sometimes it don’t make sense. I love my life too!
Thanks for sharing your magical powers! You are a natural!
Jeannie

[Garnet]

How wonderful you have the ‘touch’. You are truly blessed

[BryWisteria]

Welcome, @janelle! It is always wonderful to hear from you- thanks for the update and for your very kind words! You and @Artemisia raise a good point about the challenges. I’ve gone back in and added a note, encouraging everyone to use the challenge as they’d like- perhaps in way like a guide or as inspiration. There is no pressure to share if it leads to anxiety- I think it is absolutely possible to join the coven in spirit, keeping your spellwork personal if you choose! Hope you are doing well- love and light to you!

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Beautiful, @Garnet! Thank you for sharing your warmth- reading your post made me smile I’m so happy to hear you found a home in the coven, we are certainly blessed to have you among us

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You are very welcome, @Liisa- thank you for the wonderful entry! It is so inspirational to hear how finding your practice helped to awaken something deep within you- I think you wrote it very well! One step has lead to another, and I am grateful you found your way to the coven. Thank you for all of the light, joy, and wisdom that you bring! Many blessings to you

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So many fun aspects of magick, @Christina4! Your witchy talents have truly flourished- congrats to you Thank you for sharing not only your birthday with Spells8, but also thank you for all of the wonderful wisdom and positivity you bring! Keep on being awesome!

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Removing energy with human touch is a popular form of holistic medicine, @Jeannie1- it’s an exciting aspect to explore! I think you are right that it could stem from shamanic practices, massage therapy, or also perhaps Reiki as well. It’s very interesting- I hope it continues to work well for you!

[IrisW]

Not quite in time for this challenge, but I’m booked in to have the coven symbol as a tattoo on 11 May. I do feel like I’ve found my people since joining.

[Garnet]

You are ours, mother aunt niece cousin, we are your family and we, yours. Warmest blessings

[NickWick]

Wow… I am beyond words at this time although I am a woman of words in silence It is such a blessing to see how much this Coven has changed our lives for the better and I would love to say @Francisco I thank you so much for such a great opportunity.

I have always had love and interest for the craft not only because of what I had known from my grandmother’s behalf but from the very unset of reading about it at a young age. Where I am from I do not know of anyone that may call his or her self a witch or wizard or even a lover of the craft and that was a challenge for me from the very start.

Spells8 on a whole had shed much light and opportunities for someone like me who have no mentor or guidence in the field of Magick . I have been in and out, lost and confused but from since I have found spells8 and the coven, I have learnt so much alone the way and continue to learn every day I am happy to be amongst such wonderful people like you

I am still learning myself as a witch but with Infinite Roots I am definitely getting there. I am happy to say that I now know that I am a Eclectic Witch that loves working with the fire element and have a passion for words when it comes to the craft and because of this I am a creator of many of my work.ohhhhh I love working with herbs too.

Am that little blessed witch
That has gotten her wish
To be apart of something great
Happy Birthday to you Spells8
Hip Hip Hip Hooray

This one is for you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES

L💫 ve L💓ve L🕯ght the way.

[Francisco]

This topic is going to make me cry!! My heart is so ful of love right now! I wish we could all get together around a maypole!!

It is so comforting to be a part of this community where everyone is so supportive as we go through similar things. I am feeling really warm vibes and it’s not just the spring!!

[NickWick]

@Francisco

This topic is going to make me cry!! My heart is so ful of love right now

Awwww I know the feeling. I am so happy and excited during this moment.

[Jeannie1]

Nick wick,

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@NickWick

Spells8 on a whole had shed much light and opportunities for someone like me who have no mentor or guidence in the field of Magick . I have been in and out, lost and confused but from since I have found spells8 and the coven, I have learnt so much alone the way and continue to learn every day I am happy to be amongst such wonderful people like you

I totally understand and agree with you wholeheartedly! You said it perfectly! Thank you! Love spells eight and I experience nothing but love and I respect you all!
Jeannie

[BryWisteria]

@IrisW

I’m booked in to have the coven symbol as a tattoo on 11 May

That is so exciting, Iris! And you betcha getting a coven tattoo absolutely counts towards the challenge about celebrating the coven I know the appointment is still a ways away, but I’m wishing you the best with the tattoo process!

@NickWick

I am still learning myself as a witch but with Infinite Roots I am definitely getting there.

Your words always take my breath away, Nick! Thank you for both your kindness here and in the wonderful birthday piece you wrote. I will treasure your words for a long time to come- so much love back to you!

@Francisco

I wish we could all get together around a maypole!!

What fun that would be! Maybe someday in the future we can plan a coven get-together, perhaps to celebrate a Sabbat or a future anniversary! Sounds like a blast!

[NickWick]

@Jeannie1

Thank you! Love spells eight and I experience nothing but love and I respect you all!
Jeannie

It is so good when there is a place that you can turn to for guidence @Jeannni1. I am thankful for such opportunities.

[IrisW]

My wooden chest for my herbs finally arrived and I’ve spent the morning decanting my herbs into bottles. Didn’t realise how long that would take!

I’m really pleased with it though. For the herbs where the plastic sachets are now empty, I’ve also put the label from the packet on the bottle with more info about what’s inside. I’ll do that with the rest as I run down my stocks…

And one of the suggestions for food for Beltane is something spicy so tonight I’ll be using one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes as a base for:-

Not a favourite spell as such, but cooking makes me happy and I see the process as kitchen magick.

[Susurrus]

@Francisco

This topic is going to make me cry!!

But they will be happy tears! The maypole idea would be fantastic! Maybe a Spells8 field trip!

[Liisa]

You’ve got me all emotional reading everyone’s entries so far but in a good way

@Francisco You placed down the cornerstone for something truly wonderful Thank you for bringing us all together I also second the meeting up and dancing around a maypole one day

@IrisW That’s a beautiful herb box the engraving on the front is very nicely done the jars all look so pretty in it

Ok so for this challenge I’m going to tell you all the spell I did that helped me find all of you beautiful people
I decided to do this spell at the little natural circle I found on my favourite nature walk

I had been a little down in a couple of weeks before this because I didn’t know where else to turn to find wisdom that was from anyone I felt I could trust on the matter and books can only take you so far. I had started to get lonely on my journey and desperately needed a guide. So I was setting my intention for my confidence in solitary practice to grow and sending a message into the Universe for guidance on my path. I got to the circle just as the sun was setting and the waxing half-moon was still up and I set up the little campfire windbreaker I have and set up a small altar in the middle of the circle. I used palo santo for incense and using the help of the nature spirits I cast a circle with my mind. I carved the Dagaz and Sowilo Rune onto a yellow candle for confidence and enlightenment and the Anzus and Raidho Runes on a blue candle for helpful communication and wisdom on my journey. I lit them both and I didn’t have words prepared because I wanted to speak from my heart during this ritual. I told the Universe that I was confident, strong and powerful in my own right and that I would never forget that. I then went on to be a little more humble and express my need for better guidance and friendship on my path so that I could do more good with my practice and share my experiences and doubts. I sat quietly meditating until both candles burnt most of the way down then blew them both out and the confidence hit me like a freight train at that moment, I can’t really describe it, I just knew I was on the right track and that it was going to be ok. Faith and patience was the key. I tied a purple string around the blue candle stub and discarded it at the crossroads on the way back home to send my message into the Universe and I tied a black string around the yellow candle and buried it in my garden to keep the confidence I had found.
Then around a week later, I decided to use my confidence proactively to seek out courses for expending my knowledge. I looked on Udemy didn’t see anything that spoke to me, I looked on a few witchy related sites but i got lost in all of the different blogs, conflicting craft information and just general rudeness of people sometimes Then it happened, I clicked a link that took me to a Youtube video that was easy to watch and listen to, open-minded and full of actually useful information. So I looked to see what the channel was, it was called Spells8 I noticed a link to a website for courses so I clicked it and the rest everyone already knows, here i am with the very guidance and friendship I needed

[Jewitch]

This challenge for this week was yet another great one for me. It gave me an excuse to sit back and think about how grateful I am to have found the Spells8 website and the Infinite Roots Coven.

Looking back on my childhood, even though I grew up very sheltered in a relatively conservative-ish Christian household and had no idea Witchcraft was a thing until I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade, I now see that I’ve always had quite witchy tendencies. When I was very young, I used to piss my mom off because when she was distracted, I’d go into the kitchen, climb up onto the counter, and mix together a bunch of herbs and spices. I would pretend that the result of the different herbs being mixed together would have some sort of effect. For example, I’d mix a bunch of stuff together and it was supposed to turn into cookies or a popsicle. Sounds a bit like making potions, eh? However, at the time, I didn’t know it was a thing, and I referred to my concoctions as “experiments”

Looking back on this makes me realize that I’ve always seen the magic in the mundane task of cooking.

As I grew older, just like many late elementary school / early middle school kids, my interest in things such as tarot and curses grew. I went through a phase where I was FASCINATED by voodoo dolls.

As I continued growing older, my interest shifted more toward more standard religion. I began doing research and seeking out a denomination of Christianity that I felt comfortable with. Long story short, I went through a phase where I identified as Episcopalian, and then I stumbled upon Quakerism. I identified as a Quaker most deeply and for the longest of the Christian denominations.

Eventually, I decided to explore my fascination with Judaism. I attended a Conservative Jewish synagogue in Columbus while I attended Ohio State University. I took an Intro to Judaism class at OSU, and I also took an Intro to Judaism course at the synagogue I attended. I also took a semester of Biblical Hebrew at OSU because I wanted to be able to read the Tanakh (the Old Testament, in Christian terminology) in it’s “original” language. For my final project of the Biblical Hebrew class, I had to translate a section of the Tanakh from Hebrew into English, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it helped deepen my connection to the Judeo-Christian scriptures and my Judeo-Christian belief system.

As I started thinking things through, stuff I was learning in my religious experiences kind of pushed me away from “traditional” organized religion. I decided to focus my spiritual energies on the Earth, and, long story short, began my path toward Paganism.

My interest in Witchcraft resurfaced as I began walking the Pagan path. Like others, as I was looking for info on Witchcraft and Wicca, I was led to and then drawn to Spells8. I did the self-initiation course, then decided to become a member of the site, and I’m BEYOND glad that I did! In it, I’ve found an AMAZING community that I am so excited to be a part of. I haven’t been here very long in the grand scheme of things, but I feel so welcome and at-home here. I usually only ever lurk on online communities, and have been avoiding Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram like the plague since an ACTUAL plague began (haha), but I’m always excited to check the forums to see what everyone’s up to and what I get to learn at that time!

Thank you to @Francisco for building this community, and thank you to everyone who has been so warm, inviting, welcoming, and friendly! I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with y’all! Blessed be!

[Rowan]

I’ve taken time to write this post because I really wanted to be able to express everything I think and feel for this Community, Coven, Creator, My Craft, and Friends.
First, @Francisco thank you just seems small in comparison to what your vision, your goal, and your success with this creation has brought to my life and allowed me to be me. How do you thank someone for opening your eyes to your path? You have given me the opportunity to silence the voices that deterred me for so long, to believe in myself and the magic within me. Spells8 has replaced my social media and I learn something every day through each and every member. No, thank you just doesn’t measure the amount of gratitude that I hold for this creation that is Spells8 and our coven Infinite Roots.
To the Community, the never changing acceptance and unity that we have here, is amazing. If even half of the world had that, imagine the beauty! I thank you, @BryWisteria for your guidance and wisdom in all that you do for us, and for your unwavering support and kind words. @praecog29 our silent warrior, you engage us all in caring for each other and putting such warmth and light in the world with a candle and positive energy. Its like a call to arms for us to defend each other and support one another when Life throws us curve balls. You never let anyone going through something feel alone, and I personally thank you for that.
There are so many others I would thank but it would take quite a while…So to the Community within Spells8, thank you for even the smallest thing as a heart like on a post, a picture, or a link. For reading rants, realizations, answering questions, giving compliments and support. Thank you for joining this community and blending with each of us to create such a wonderful and amazing place to learn, grow, and meet others.
My craft has always been within me, I think or at least the desire for it at least. But until I found Spells8 it had been dormant while I raised my children. The day I clicked the link after a google search, and saw Spells8 it awoke. At first, I wanted to just absorb everything I could, like a kid in a candy store I wanted to try everything, I had to learn everything! HAHAHA thinking back now its funny how starved for knowledge and acceptance I was, but Spells8 gave me that and so much more.
I’ve been here for a year and Im still just in awe of it all.
I still have so much to learn, but now it’s exciting and confidently noted in my Book of Mirrors instead of shyly wondered about in the solitude of my mind.
Spells8 has given me so many things to be grateful for I couldn’t name them all, but I will say Holidays had become something of which I no longer looked forward to, (except Halloween…because I am a witch after all lol) my kids are grown and my family is not what it once was with crowds of people. But since joining Spells8 I now have new holidays to celebrate and get excited about, and an encouraging and accepting family to share them with, that is just one example of joy that Spells8 has brought into my life.
Not only am I learning about Paganism, Witchcraft, and my path but I am also learning about myself and liking who I am and who I will be.
And this is all because of what you created @Francisco, from the bottom of my heart Thank You!
Congrats To The Coven!

[mary25]

This made me cry you said so many things I felt, too, but could not articulate. I am so happy to have found Spells8 and this community.

[mary25]

Happy Birthday, Spells8! Thank you so much, Francisco, for creating this fantastic home and learning center online and also to your wonderful collaborators. I had been exploring witchcraft on and off for years but when I found Spells8, it all fell into place. THAT is when it started feeling right to me, a part of my spiritual life and my lifestyle. It has filled a gap in my life that my faith did not. I am blending the two, taking what I like and leaving the rest. Fortunately, with Spells8, there’s not really much I feel like leaving out. The connection I am beginning to feel with something I don’t even fully understand is very tangible and concrete. The closest thing that has made me feel this centered and “right” was becoming a mother. This is a little like that.

So, you asked about our favorite aspects of magick. For me, it has been casting circles. This practice makes me feel serene, relaxed and deeply content. It is like prayer without the agony and self-doubt. It just feels right. I don’t wonder if I am deserving. I feel like I am part of it. This practice makes me feel very close to God, to the Universe, to Nature, my ancestors and to people I don’t even know.

When I call the Quarters, well, it is a party. So many are invited LOL. I call the quarters, I call Father Sky/Sun and Mother Earth/Moon (depending), Spirit and my ancestors! One thing I started doing for the Father, Mother, Spirit and ancestors was to add the phrase: “I am your child and I love you.” The first time I tried this, WOW. I knew I had struck something genuine. It was like falling in love! I felt like they were on Team Mary LOL. I am joking but it just feels…oh heck, I have no words for it. Maybe when I do this more, I will.

Here’s the kind of imagery I use with the Quarters and Elements. I borrowed the idea of talking about the elements in nature from another witch but the part about it also in me (fire, earth, air and water) is my own construct. I am sure I am not the first to do it. It makes me feel sooooo connected and part of it.

Guardians of the West, Spirits of Water
Water inside me and all around me
In the earth and in the sky
In lakes, oceans, streams and rivers
In rain and in snow
In the blood of my body and the vapor of my breath
And everything that has life.
I call on you, lovely water
To bless me
And to bless this circle

And to my ancestors I say

Dearest Ancestors
You paved the way
I am your descendant and I love you
Lend me your wisdom and strength
As I perform these works tonight
I call on you to bless me
And to bless this circle

Anyway, love you guys Take care and thank you!

[mary25]

So interesting. What I like about paganism – and I don’t nec. consider myself to be one although I admit I am kind of acting like one! Is that it doesn’t exact a high price from you to join. I am Episcopalian and about twenty years ago, I was attending my home church where I had married and baptized my baby. The rector was a woman and had a baby about my child’s age. She had married me and my husband and baptized our baby and I admired her greatly and always looked forward to her sermons. She was deeply intelligent. So, it was an ordinary Sunday and I was sitting in the pew with my baby. The rector began talking about her own baby. She mentioned how she could not allow the baby to come between her and God. As much as she loved her child, she knew she had to always put God first. And that, as Christians, that was something we all had to do. As she talked about this, she clearly was miserable and torn, and I was horrified. I held onto my baby so closely as I listened to her, tears pricking in my eyes. I thought, what kind of religion makes a mother pay this kind of price? I wanted to hug her and tell her, no, you are closer to God because you love your baby. Your baby IS God, you are God, there is no need to put one aside for the other. But then I thought that my thinking probably wasn’t in line with the scripture she was talking about and it wasn’t my place to say it. But it WAS in line with what I felt in my heart. I didn’t want to make that kind of choice and I didn’t want to be part of something that would force me to. I stopped going to church shortly after that, althogh I still identified as a Christian. So I guess maybe I am creating my own hybrid religion or just a way of interacting with the world and spirituality that is based more on love and deeds than sin and sacrifice.

[Magdelina]

First I love our coven symbol. I am booked to have a couple of small tats done on May 5th but I will eventually get this one on my hand, left i think between the thumb and first finger.

I was looking for a spell and to learn more about the craft when I stumbled upon Spells8. I was intrigued since I am a visual learner and this site had so many videos to watch and learn from. I jumped right in feet first wholeheartedly back in November 2020. I was unsure if I was on the right path at that time but as I got to know everyone and felt so much warmth and love and welcome I decided to stay.

My favorite aspect of the craft is … well…everything!!! I have always been keen on changing my space every season since I was a child. Drove my husband up the wall for so many years until last year when we found that we were being called away from the Catholic Church (that is a long story and I will be writing it soon) and he to a Druid and me back to witchcraft and Wicca which I was learning about in my teens. I am more of an eclectic witch, I dabble in everything, I want to know everything but I learn slowly and with intention. I mostly use kitchen and green witchery but have been drawn to the energies of crystals and their use on the body. My husband is now a Reiki Master and is using me as his guinea pig He is very good at what he does.

My all time favorite spell was the Return to Sender with the lemon and cloves. It actually works very well for me. But my go to spells right now are manifesting financial freedom spells. I have been using the coin bowl and it has been working slowly on my business, so much so as to allow me to quit my day job and focus my whole attention and intention on being my own boss and creating one of a kind gifts for everyone which I spell with positive energy and love.

I hope to one day meet all of you in person where I can hug all of you!!! You all part of my extended family now. And I am a crazy witch lol.

Blessed Be.