I have been wanting to write a letter to my mom and it just is hard to feel to write
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Hello Witches,
For this challenge, I decided to do a tarot spread that I made myself!
First Card- What do I need to forgive?
Second card? Why do I need to forgive?
Third- Who I need to forgive!
Well it helped to write things out and I discovered I am trying to forgive but this is a process that I canāt take care of in one week.
Today I decided to make a forgiveness potion charm bag to help with that process!
- Rosemary
*Aster
*Lavender
*Vevarian
*Peppermint
*Sage
Sage-Air, Guidance, healing, peace, protection, release, strength, well-being wishes stability
Rosemary- Banish negativity, binding, Comfort, Confidence, emotions, honesty, empowerment, protection, Magical mental protection, psychic spiritual psychic ability, purification will power,
wisdom and release
Rose
Hekate
Banish negativity and forgive, bless, courage, healing, patience, peace
, psychic abilities, love 
Lavender- Air Hekate
Anger, anxiety, grief, relationships, release, support, stress, wishes
Vevarian- Air, Earth, and Fire
Diana, Persephone
Calm, banish emotions, challenges, Justice, healing, breaks hexes, inner power, protection
Peppermint
Challenges, healing, the mind Release sensitivity
Aster- love 
Moon Self acceptance
Happiness, innocence, to let go and to move on, transformation, messages, accomplishments, balance, goals, gratitude, grounding
Red candle- Love
Red Jasper
So more it be!
I think taking the necessary steps and continuing doing energy work which will help me balance out everything! Love and light 
Blessed be!
Jeannie
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When this challenge came up. I read some articles on forgiveness, research on what forgiving and forgetting are defined as. And for myself, to better grasp at this challenge, carved out resentment/ill will from the forgiveness definition and used forgiveness more in the legal term. So I created 3 categories: forgiving, resentment/ill will, and forgetting to sort my situation out.
The situation I was trying to figure out, is with my biological mother. Then I played back the incidents with my mother who has not been too good of a force in my life growing up to write the least.
FORGIVING: Contemplating on how to āforgiveā her, or have I been too āforgivingā. With the research I did, and the categorization. I realized, there is nothing for me to forgive her for because I do not have any legal claims criminal of civil against her. Yes, one can sue one for anything, but will I win, most likely not.
RESENTMENT AND ILL WILL: Yeah, I could perform a certain type of spell, but there are so much better things to use my magic and energy for. (I recall early on in my practice, wanted to perform a ātypeā of spell on something else, I was so wrapped up in my emotions. BUT before I did that, I inquired of the tarot, about me performing this spell, and drew the 7 of Cups. From this card, read it as telling me, āyes you can, but you do have choices on how to use your magicā, yes, there is the cup with the snake, but there is also a cup with riches, and other cups with other stuff in it, the tarot was elbowing me āthere are better things to use it forā. I agreed, I have choices, I choose better, and not to taint my magic with such. With that choice, coupled with this challenge, I put away the resentment and ill will (there was a lot of it) because Iām not going to do anything with it, sheās not that important of a cause to me - I managed growing up without her, so itās just going to eat at me, which it has. The only thing I can do is not to forget.
FORGETTING: Now the issue I have that got me into trouble, my problem, and that is in forgetting what she did to me, and with that failing to take stock of what happened when I was 16-17 years old, with my own eyes, ears, and experiences how bad she was, and from there on create the best plan and course of action on how to handle her and that is to not have anything to do with her again. But I didnāt, still let her back in, time and time again. Just left me disappointed, upset, lowered my self-esteem, and taxing by adding on to my resentment and ill will. Now Iām riding on that plan.
I will not forget again. Especially now that I wrote it down. Going to keep this logged and if she rears her head again, pull what I wrote up, and remind myself. I wrote the situation down in greater detail, itās miserable though, so I left it out.
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Happy birthday @steph Iām sorry that youāve got troubles on your mind for your birthday. Sending you a very big hug with love and light xxx
@Eliza_01 I agree that you shouldnāt forget. Those memories remind us of what we are moving away from and why. I hope that you can find even a little bit of peace. Sending you lots of love and light with a very big hug.
@Jeannie1 I love that you made a charm bag. I think what you made is absolutely lovely. You have inspired me. Ever since I made my spell jar for the last challenge I have had an itchy witchy fingers to make another as I think that it worked. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful entry. Sending you lots of love and light back.
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Thank you very much @jessica72 
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Iām so grateful for this challenge. As I meditated on forgiving my coworker whom I was once as close to and supportive of , until she set out to hurt me due to jealousy of my friendship with another coworker. it was reveled to me I had more than her to forgive.
Many things resurfaced from my childhood and I realized I held some resentment towards my mother of her acceptance with my other siblings and me at times feeling like the black sheep.
I have identified a lot of things that hurt me , I thought I had forgiven her, however this challenge showed me I hadnāt and I had some shadow work to do.
I completed the forgiveness ritual , and been meditating and carrying my rose quartz reminding me of love and light always .
Since Iāve been able to deal with my coworker without having any feelings towards her. Iām still working on that. However Iām no longing dwelling on the problems I had with her.
My relationship with my mom has always been strong , but from a distance. This has helped me communicate with my mom more calmly, and she listens. Iāve learned somethings that help me understand my mom more and her me.
I open up to her about my life and becoming a witch, surprisingly my mom opened up to me about my family practices with magick , rituals and spells. My mom is t shame as expected, but protected me and explained why she stepped away from the family practices. Our bond has grown even stronger , though thereās still more work to be done .
I feel at peace and have let go of anger towards my coworker mom and sister.
Forgiving feels so much better than holding on to anger! I know Iāll have to keep my Armour on and stay in control of my thoughts to continue moving forward 
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So happy to hear that after this challenge your feeling better 
I really like how you said
That is such a great mindset to have! Thank you for sharing an amazing challenge entry!
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This challenge is now CLOSED 
The freedom of forgiveness is a beautiful thing- but it can be really difficult to achieve in practice! A huge round of applause to everyone who explored forgiveness in magick this week- Iāve found an even greater appreciation and pride for the amazing strong folks in the Infinite Roots Coven 
A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details. Please keep an eye on the main page of the forums.
Note : This post will remain open for continued discussion for a few more days, but no additional prizes will be given after today.
Blessed be! 
And just a friendly suggestion for all those who dug deep this week- please consider treating yourself to some healing work and/or self-care rituals. You worked hard- take some time to take care of yourself post-spellwork 
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@CelestiaMoon Thank you for sharing this passage from The Play of Awakening- the world of āguiltā goes hand-in-hand with forgiveness work and is a great thing to explore (although very difficult!) on the path towards healing. Thanks for sharing this!
@Amethyst When things come from the heart, I think the format or details step to the side- the spotlight shines on the raw emotion and powerful truth in the words, exactly as they are! No need at all to rhyme, I wouldnāt change a thing about what you wrote, Amethyst- it is most beautiful in its purity. Thanks once again for sharing such a heartfelt piece 
@RyuWyn Thanks again for sharing such a wonderful suggestion, White Fox! From looking at all of the beautiful entries shared, your theme of forgiveness clearly resonated with the coven 
That is a beautiful action of writing the letter, and even more powerful to decide to give it to her. A forgiveness letter written from the heart is such a meaningful and emotional gift- may your mother acknowledge and respect the strength of her daughter. Great job, White Fox- thank you for sharing this entry!
@Artemisia Iām glad to hear the challenge theme resonated with you, Katnabis! I agree that both emotional influences and the mental side of spell work can manifest physically (and coincidentally, thereās actually a current discussion about that going on too! Great minds think alike! 
). I think that was both creative and clever of you to combine the forgiveness ritual with elements of cord-cutting: you reflected on your situation and created the best possible way for you to approach it- a round of applause to you! 
The road to healing is both a long one and a personal one. It may take more time, but you took a very big step forward with this ritual. Iām proud of you and Iām cheering you on for the road ahead! Great job and thank you very much for sharing your forgiveness experience
@BrightBear Thank you again for sharing your very powerful forgiveness experience in the other thread, BrightBear! 
@Steph First things first- wishing you a very happy and blessed birthday! 
I know it was mentioned above, but forgiveness really is a great gift to give yourself. Good for you for facing your fears, reaching out to your family, and doing that deep work to find inner acceptance. Your birthday is an auspicious time and I wish you all the best of luck with your work this week- may you become the person you want to be, and find your inner peace and freedom! 
@Jeannie1- Thatās lovely Tarot spread, Jeannie- you have a talent for creating them! 
It pairs beautifully with your forgiveness potion charm bag too, what a great combo (and extra thanks for writing the correspondences next to the ingredients- that is really helpful!) May you continue on your path towards balance- thank you for sharing this wonderful challenge entry!
@Eliza_01 Thatās a really interesting path to sort the types of forgiveness- I really like how you approached this challenge, Eliza! 
I also think you are very strong to examine resentment and ill will and still hold yourself above it, choosing instead to focus your energy on examining the issue as a whole, from a higher point of view. I agree that forgiveness does not equal forgetting- life is full of experiences (some of which are, unfortunately, horribly brutal and painful) and I believe there is value and growth in holding onto the lessons weāve learned- even if just to prevent it from ever happening again. Thank you for taking the time on reflect on forgiveness in your practice and for sharing your experience- it was insightful to read!
@MsQ I am so glad you found the challenge theme this week to be helpful! Looking back at past pains and wrongs is a hard thing to do, so I have full respect for your journey examining these relationships in your life. It sounds like you overcame a lot of darkness and were able to discover your beautiful inner light- a huge congrats to you! Thank you for taking the time to embark on forgiveness for the challenge this week, and thank you for sharing your lovely entry!
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Miss Stef, you thank us for liking the challenge, when it really should be us thanking you.
We (I) had to face some very difficult demons in order to deal with them.
Honey, because of you, thereās not a one of us that hasnāt grown within ourselves. Thank you, more than you can know.
Garnet
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While reviewing everyoneās beautiful challenge entries as I gave out badges, my thoughts kept drifting back to Kintsugi. For anyone unfamiliar with it, Kintsugi is the Japanese art of giving broken things a new life.
While there is a lot more to it, one of the symbolic meanings of this practice is that broken things donāt need to be āfixedā- through a bit of work, they become something even more beautiful than they were before. (For anyone interested, thereās an old post in the forum about Kintsugi with more info and a lovely video.)
I thought this message tied in really well with the challenge this week- although forgiveness work involves examining pieces of ourselves that may seem ābrokenā and can be very painful, forgiveness is the golden touch that helps us to step back and see the bigger picture- helping us to see that we are indeed whole, and so much the wiser for the healing work that has been done 
I know Iāve said it probably a hundred times, but a huge congrats and thank you to everyone who joined in the challenge this week- your forgiveness work and strong hearts shine even brighter than gold! Great job! 
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Yes, excellent suggestion, will most definitely do. A huge thank you to @BryWisteria for putting this challenge together and to @RyuWyn for this much needed recommendation, and to all for creating this wonderful environment and space to allow such. 
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Travelwitch,
Thank you so much Travel Witch, I am so honored to share with everyone, I have such a wonderful feeling and egared and geared towards being grounded and balanced. We can strengthen each other and that is truly my passion! Thank you for your advice on doing the healing work by taking a bath or something healing! I really hope I stay true to myself!
Jeannie
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@BryWisteria I love it!
This is exactly where my mind was with my entry
Credit: Stitch Buzzkill memegenerator.net
Thank you @RyuWyn and @BryWisteria for giving me something that I didnāt know that I needed when I needed it the most.
I love my new witchy family. Thank you so much for welcoming, accepting me and for all that each and every one of you has done for me.
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@Eliza_01 You are very welcome, Eliza- many thanks back to you for joining in! I am so glad that you found the challenge theme to be useful and that you feel at home here in the coven community Blessed be!
@Jeannie1 You said it perfectly- I absolutely agree that āwe can strengthen each otherā! Sometimes what is very hard (or even impossible) to do on your own can be achieved with the love and support of others. Many thanks back to you, Jeannie, for all the kind encouragement and support you give- you spread so much love and inspiration here!
@Jessica72 Your entry was one of the first to bless the forum- I bet it was reading your words (and that perfect Stich reference! 
) that planted the Kintsugi seed in my mind Many thanks back to you, Jessica, for your very powerful entry, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that your witchy family loves you very much too!
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Your depth of compassion is inspiring @christina4. Iām glad that you felt some closure and where able to revisit those times of closeness with your birthday twin. 
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Thank you for your kind words, @Jeannie1.
I was thrive shopping yesterday and came across a shelf full of owls. I thought it would be good if a group of owls was called a āHoot of Owlsā but I discovered that they are called a āParliament of Owlsā , which is much more appropriate . 
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Your creativity blows me away, @Jeannie1 !
From your custom tarot spread, forgiveness potion charm bag, and your warm & welcoming alter (i see you red jaspers) , I feel the powerful loving care that youāve taken.
I thank you for listing the herbs and their meanings. Iām not really familiar with magic properties of herbs. Iām looking forward to incorporating them with my crystal work.
Yes, it is a process isnāt it? Iām still digesting my last challenge of water and fire. Iām now learning more about the Vesta/Hestia Goddess of the sacred flame. 
Wishing you wellness,
Cheers,
Janis
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Sweet Debra.
I just finished reading your entry. It was wonderful, and quite thought provoking.
Forgiveness is not justice. True, but you canāt do to them what would in the long run hurt you. (As much as you want to.)
Trust is not the same as forgiveness This was my very favorite. You forgiveā¦or try real hard. And forget? Hell no! I (forgive my language.) personally am never going to trust them again.
emotional pain of anger, hate, hurt, resentment, bitterness also true, but there were times that I wallowed in it, bathed in the muck of itās hatefulness. Wished them to suffer as I did. But whom did I hurt most, me.
giving up the suffering of the past and being willing to forge ahead with far greater potential for inner freedom . My Mom would have worn sack cloth and ashes for the rest of her life after Dad died. She would have made a great professional mourner, but maybe she needed to wear her grief in order to forgive her pain.
giving up the suffering of the past and being willing to forge ahead with far greater potential for inner freedom . I think, sometimes, thatās the hardest part of forgiveness, to āgive upā the suffering you have learned to live with.
Thank you Baby Girl, youāve taught this old woman some timely lessons.
Be blessed, be safe and Know, dearest, you be loved.
Garnet
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Thank you @Garnet that was my one main reason for all the ways Not Forgiving Others when they have done hurtful things to us and didnāt really care, but for us to Hold Onto That Hate or Resentment was only hurting us and not them. Our only way to move forwards in our own life and path is to Forgive them for what they did to us and also to Forgive ourselves for letting them hurt us, in the way that they did. Forgiving them is Freeing us, but it does not mean that we forget, but we learn from it.
Glad you got something out of it, that pleases me.
Blessed be
Debra
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