🧑‍🔬 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Science & Witchcraft

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet!

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Empaths & Empathic Abilities

After exploring an emotional side of sensory magick last week, we’re switching gears and going hands-on with a practical side of the Craft

The theme for this week’s challenge was suggested by both @starborn and @tracyS (with additional inspiration from @CelestiaMoon) and is …

Science & Witchcraft

Opposites? Friends? Two sides of the same coin?

Science is a method humans use to explain and define the world around us. It is based largely on observing and experimenting. Oxford Languages defines science as:

Everyone has their own valid opinion about when science and witchcraft come together - whether you see the two as stand-alone opposites, as two flavors of the same brew, or as unique but complimentary ways to experience the world, it’s a topic worthy of exploring!

We’re comparing, contrasting, and casting this week - all in the name of (magickal) science!

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This week’s challenge is all about science and witchcraft - how you choose to take on this theme is up to you!

So are you ready? Because it’s…

CHALLENGE TIME!

Art by AlyssaKorea on Inprint: Science Witch

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STEP 1 : The Crossroads of Science and Magick

This challenge is all about science and the Craft - but as always, how you choose to take on this theme is up to you!

Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge.

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Science in Magickal Traditions

There are many pagan paths, traditions of magick, and areas of magickal practice - each with their own unique history and views when it comes to science.

For example:

• Some branches of Druidry incorporate science and scientific learning into their practice as a key aspect of spirituality.

• Alchemy has a history intertwined with magick, and is a predessecor to both modern philosophy and modern chemistry

• Astronomy and astrology were once intertwined and were the primary science of viewing and explaining the celestial heavens

• Herbalism is the mother of modern medicine and some herbs are still used in medical treatments

• Etc!

For this challenge, consider exploring how science has impacted magickal study (or vice versa) in your magickal tradition or favorite area of the Craft.

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Experiment!

At it’s heart, science is about learning through trial and error - so why not do some magickal experimenting this week? If there’s a spell or recipe you’ve always wanted to try but hesitated, this is your sign to go out on a limb and do something new - in the name of science!

• Explore Spells by Category on Spells8
• Browse the spells tag
• Browse the Recipes category

Write your own custom spells

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Journal Reflections

A key step in any learning journey is reflection - sitting down with the self to ruminate and organize our thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the name of moving forward with them. For this challenge, consider reflecting on your own experiences and beliefs around witchcraft and science.

Suggested journalling prompts:

• What do you think of when you hear the word “science”? What image or feelings come to mind?

• What do you think of when you hear the word “magick”? What image or feelings come to mind?

• Do you believe science and witchcraft are mutually exclusive? Or can they intersect?

• Can science benefit from spirituality? Can spirituality benefit from science?

• Do you think you use science in your daily life? How about in your magickal practice?

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… And More!

The suggestions above are just a few ideas to help kickstart your creativity- if you feel called to explore magickal science in another way, you are welcome to do so!

As always, all witches are encouraged to embrace their own unique practice with how they explore the challenge theme

“The Magician” made in Canva

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience

Click here for a note about challenge inclusivity

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge by practicing magick in line with the current theme. For lurkers and those who don’t feel comfortable sharing, it is absolutely okay to follow along with the challenge but keep your entry personal. Feel free to join in spirit and do what feels most comfortable for you!

That being said, please know that if you would like to receive a prize and a public shout-out, it is required that you share your experience.

Getting Your Credit

In order for your entry to be counted, all you have to do is write/share about your experience and label it as your challenge entry. There is a lot of chatting here (which is awesome- chatting and discussion are very welcome!) so please clearly write that it is your entry so I know to count it!

Where Should I Share My Entry?

Click here to learn where to share your challenge entry

You are welcome to post it right here- just click “reply” to this post and write your experience in the text box that pops up!

Alternatively, you could create a new post in the forum (this is good for when you have a lot to share and/or would like to discuss aspects of your entry not related to the current theme)

Note : If you do choose to create a new thread, please add the “challenge-entry” tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you!

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Deadline

This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, February 20 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2024-02-20T12:00:00Z

(Note that the time zone is ET- if you don’t see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)

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Prizes

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and a small prize!

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums on Tuesday.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given. This discussion will remain open for about a week after the challenge finishes.

@CelestiaMoon’s hibiscus infusion experiment shared in Bathing in the “Blood” of My Enemies

A warm reminder that the challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that honors and reflects their unique practice

If you have any doubts about if something is acceptable to post or say, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to your friendly Moderator Team.

And for those new to challenges- welcome! Know that the goal of these activities is to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another in creative ways

Picture from Canva

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A world of wonder, of mystery galore
Questions and queries - we want to know more!
About life and death and the truth of it all
With magick and science, we can answer that call

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Blessed Be!

[john1]

This is my entry

Master Your Mind, Body, and Soul

And sound , music of any kind can change your mood and make you sleep and dance music is magical part of science to

[Artemisia]

Well, lookie here… Where did this idea come from? Yay!!! I’m so glad these wonderful friends (@CelestiaMoon @tracyS @starborn ) brought up interesting topics and experiments this past week to inspire a challenge!

Hmmm this has the feel of another research and deep dive for me! Time to ponder

[tracyS]

Looking forward to this

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry: Science & Witchcraft

Arthur C. Clarke was an English writer of bother science and science fiction. He is known for his 2001: Series of Science Fiction novels and his subsequent work on the script of 2001: Space Odyssey. He is also known for Clark’s Three Laws

The laws are:

• When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong

• The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

• Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

I find his third law fascinating and thought-provoking.

"There was very little magic in the Middle Ages: the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are the high noon of magic. The serious magical endeavour and the serious scientific endeavour are twins: one was sickly and died, the other strong and throve. But they were twins. They were born of the same impulse.
(C.S. Lewis)

The idea that magick and science are twins - made of the same energy feels right.

My colleague Ehud Benor, a scholar of Jewish philosophy and mysticism, made an interesting statement: “science tries to make magic real.”
(https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2010/03/science_and_magic_is_there_a_r.html)

Think about the power of flight - we have made aircraft. The power to see over long distances - satellites and telecommunications. Seeing what’s invisible to the naked eye - infrared, x-rays, electron microscopes.

Do I think science in its current state is capable of understanding and explaining everything? No. Not yet. Could it be in the future? Possibly, but it feels like there will always be, whether by design or not, just beyond science’s grasp to explain.

Does that mean that science and witchcraft/magick are exclusive things and have no relationship? No.

Practicing scientifically minded witchcraft means acknowledging the validity and veracity of both the scientific process and liminal magical practices.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/2020/05/the-balancing-path-scientifically-minded-witchcraft/

This is yet another topic that I haven’t actively meditated on before but it’s something I do believe in my core.

I am a scientific person. From a young age, I was interested in plants, and animals and always had little studies going on - about the lifecycle of a moth and the effect of temperature on overwintering pupas or growing seeds in different soils/moisture/light levels. I was the little girl out in the woods looking for rocks, bugs and frogs.

This carried through to high school where my favorite subjects were zoology, entomology, dendrology, geology, and botany. I also was fascinated with mythology and the religions of the world. I was raised catholic from birth. I was in Catholic school for several years and even in high school continued to be confirmed. Want to know what my final project was? A comprehensive study of world religions (I still don’t know how I talked them into letting me do it! )

For me being in nature is equal parts fascinating scientifically seeing incredible details in life, or seeing a new species for the first time as it is profoundly spiritual and moving. I feel connections with nature. It provides me with spiritual reassurance and clarity.

I am not one to immediately jump to the mystical explanation for things. I do rely on my scientific inclinations and most often there is a logical, scientific explanation for unusual or strange things. But I also realize there is a limit to what science currently can explain. When logic and science can’t provide my answers, I am open to spiritual/magickal causes.

I can appreciate an amethyst for both its intrinsic mineral properties as well as its magickal ones. Birds are fascinating creatures, having hollow bones and red blood cells with a nucleus. They are also carriers of divine messages and omens of things to come.

Science and witchcraft are not mutually exclusive. They are simply different tools for understanding and interacting with the world around us, each with their strengths and weaknesses.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/2020/05/the-balancing-path-scientifically-minded-witchcraft/

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I am a scientist
I believe in Magick

[tracyS]

@Artemisia Absolutely stunning entry.

[Artemisia]

Thank you I have been more inspired lately. Maybe there is something to daily meditation

[CelestiaMoon]

I’m so happy that I made that experiment! Thank you for taking it one step further @BryWisteria, @starborn and @tracyS And what a beautiful entry @Artemisia

@tracyS

Looking forward to this

This worries me a little though…

[Mystique]

@Artemisia I love your entry! Very thought provoking! I had no idea where to go with this challenge and after reading your entry I have several idea’s running through my mind. Fabulous information! Thank you!

For some reason this is how I always picture @tracyS . Sorry, I don’t picture it in a negative way, more of in an entertaining way. Lol.

[CelestiaMoon]

She’s our beloved chaos witch

[celineelise]

@Artemisia amazing entry! thank you for inspiring me to think about fibinachi spiral and sacred geometry,
I found this fun site of occult sceince stuff. Wanted to share the link: Sacred Geometry - Occult Science - LibGuides at Monmouth University

[tracyS]

@Mystique It’s how Loki and I do Magick/science
@CelestiaMoon aww thankyou lovely.

[Kajsa]

Beautiful entry @Artemisia and passionate! I love it

[Kajsa]

Challenge Entry: Science & Witchcraft
I will keep this simple. As an empath, I believe energy is in everything. I feel it. I live it. Everything is energy. Everything is vibrating at different frequencies with that energy. Every object, every plant, every element, every person, every thought, every intention is energy. I feel the energy in the rock, in the stone, in the room, in the person, in the plant, ect. and I direct it with my intention. With reiki, we work with energy to heal. Certain objects/elements have specific energetic properties, which we use to compliment and reinforce our intentions. Science works with energy. Witchcraft works with energy. Symbiotic, sympathetic, same…whichever you choose to call it, it is most definitely real science and most definitely real magic. I have seen energy move in the science lab and I have seen energy move in my circle.

[Kajsa]

I really enjoyed your entry @john1! I thought it was fabulous! With the talk of integrity, it reminded me of a book my father gave to me many many years ago when I was a young girl struggling to find out who I was. Thank you for sharing

[Susurrus]

Oh… I really like this 1 because it’s something that’s really intertwined with who I am & my practice.

@Artemisia that was a wonderful entry I really enjoyed it & can say there are so many things you wrote that had me nodding my head & yelling Yes!!! I couldn’t have said it better!

@tracyS please use a fire extinguisher should that happen in the kitchen during any experiments

@Kajsa energy is a wonderful thing it is within everything; whether it’s consciously noticeable or not. I can feel it usually before anything is said or noticeably changing. I already know there’s some kind of shift happening

I do have to put the last challenge on my list of to-do Challenges. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to work out an entry for this one though. It’s definitely been something I’ve thought about & made a part of my practice.

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

CHALLENGE ENTRY

I have always been very science minded. I like fact, logic and evidence, all of which science claim to provide about aspects of life that were once unexplained. I studied chemistry and physics at high school and now teach science to children aged 10 - 12. I am the science co-ordinator in our school too so the passion for the subject is very much still alive.

Space has always fascinated me and naturally, my scientific, perhaps even geeky mindset, led me to astronomy (yes the scientific one, not the other one you always see me posting about ). I have a ton of books, guides and skymaps and my partner gifted me with a wonderful telescope one Christmas. Even just to go out on a clear night and stare up at the sky, spotting the constellations was something I loved doing (and still do).

Some photos from telescope. I took these holding my phone up to the eyepiece so they are a bit blurry.

Why though?..because there is something magical about it, something that just seems beyond us here on this little ball of rock. Something awe inspiring. This is when the facts and logic barrier started to crumble and I realised that we are just a ! 0] tiny speck in a vast field of existence. It then makes you question how we exist in the first place. Was it through pure coincidence or something bigger. I don’t think we are here through coincidence. Science would disagree but has no proof…only theories. Therefore, I don’t see one being more correct than the other in matters of life’s big questions.

This then drew me into astrology, the spiritual astronomy if you like. These were used hand in hand in ancient times with little or no distinction. Movement of planets corresponded with major events and therefore, links were made and traits attributed to celestial bodies.

Take Venus for example: the Romans named the planet after their goddess of love, harmony and beauty. In reality, science has shown that it is completely uninhabitable due to its high temperatures and lava like surface. However, that does not stop it from looking striking and beautiful to us on earth. Seeing it shine brightly in the night sky can fill you with a sense of awe and you can’t help but think about how beautiful it is.

Mars shines red in the sky and the Romans linked it to the god of war and the bloodshed of battles. Today we still associate red with anger, danger and aggression, but also energy, drive and ambition.

The jewel of the solar system is Saturn and its most noted for its rings. They form a physical boundary around the planet. It is interesting then that we associate this planet with boundaries in astrology.

The Moon has a massive impact on Earth, which is 70% water. It controls the tides with its gravitational pull. The human body is 60-70% water so does the moon do the same to us? Science has yet to prove this. However, many people will tell you that they feel heightened emotions at full moon. As a teacher, we often say in the staff room that it must be a full moon because of a noticeable change in class behaviour. Even consider the origin of the word LUNAtic!

I do believe that the ancients had some sort of “old knowledge” that has been lost somehow among the need for fact, proof and evidence.

Astronomy is based on fact, something that I also once based everything on. This has now changed massively and i have come a long way on my spiritual journey. Take my passion for astrology. It is not a science because it cannot be proved. However, that does not mean it is wrong. There are many parts that I can totally relate to. Perhaps they are coincidences? Nah There are many things that science can’t prove but that people beleive in (deities, magick, life on other planets). That is why I beleive it was important for me to open my eyes beyond fact and accept that somethings simply defy logic.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Blessed be

Alan

[MeganB]

I know I had an idea for my entry this week but with the dream I had last night and the stress I feel right now, I can’t remember it so I thought I would share two resources for people who are interested in the intersection of science and magic!

The Borealis Meditation Podcast

Kat Borealis is a geologist, animist, and witch! She talks about stones and crystals, and she has done experiments on Instagram with popular concepts (such as crystal elixirs).

→ https://katborealis.com/

Test Tubes & Cauldrons Podcast

This podcast is interesting because it discusses different points where magic and science intersect. Some of the topics include the psychology of shadow work, epigenetics, and conspiracy theories.

→ Test Tubes and Cauldrons | Podcast on Spotify

[Wysteria_Norn]

Weekly Witchy Challenge Entry: Science & Witchcraft

Background: Being a medical professional with a solid background in chemistry and the sciences, witchcraft was a no-brainer for me. I have created podcasts in support of Quantum Biology and Aether units in an attempt to show that these truths break that superficial barrier that separates mainstream science and metaphysics/paranormal studies.

The ancient Alchemists knew this, but science and technology weren’t advanced enough to engage more thoroughly with it in their lifetimes.

The Qabala is believed to be derived from ancient Egyptian mysticism, and quantum physics is derived from the Qabala. Symmetry and supersymmetry are qabalistic concepts.

Now science and technology have ‘caught up’, but we are so separated from metaphysical/paranormal events that short of Einstein himself physically manifesting at a major scientific televised event, no one will risk their reputations to support it.

So the conundrum remains.

An Eye? The Earth’s gravitational field with Van Allen belts? The Merkaba?

All of it!

Credit: Article 102A: Physics - Aether Units - Part 6 - The Torus & Nassim Haramein - Cosmic Core (cosmic-core.org)

Theory: Quantum mechanics and Relativity exist within all things regardless of ‘size’.
(Note: The common physics tenet is that Quantum only holds for small things in uncomplicated environments and Relativity only holds far larger things.)
The ‘Truth’ is that ‘size’ is a relative concept, no different than SpaceTime (distance and rate of change/decay).

So compare the size and lifespan of a 500 year old, 80 foot tree, an 80 year old, 5ft 5in human, and a fruitfly (Drosophilia) whose lifespan is 72 hours and 0.12inch in size. For the fruitfly, the human is an extended life and size species, and the tree is infinity itself. The tree considers the human as we would consider our favorite domesticated pet with regards to lifespan and size, and may or may not even acknowledge a fruit fly’s existence given how relatively small it is.

This is magick. This is the unification of Relativity and Quantum.

Part A: Where the tree isn’t able to ‘see’ or determine that the fruit fly exists, ‘yet she moves’ as Galileo stated. So the ‘fruit’ falls from the tree and begins to decay. The fruit flies swarm and help accelerate the decay…they poop, they die. They, along with several other ‘spirits’ from the tree’s perspective, create the conditions where that fruit (leaves, branches, detritus…) enriches the soil’s organic and inorganic materials, which in turn strengthens and nourishes the tree. The Law of Thricefold Return in many ways!

Although the tree cannot directly perceive the fruit fly (The fruit fly representing The Veil, liminality, Dark Energy/Aether Units/Higgs Field etc.,) its existence is directly and indirectly affected by it. This is Quantum Biology. That scientific field none thought could possibly exist because there was too much ‘noise’ in the immediate environment (within the cells themselves and in the sloshy biological medium)…and ‘yet she moves’ and we, and all other quantum biological systems, exist because of this mechanism!

But the tree cannot fathom the fruit fly because it can’t detect it, yet is affected by it in countless ways. The fruit fly goes about its business not knowing its direct and indirect affects on ‘the infinite’, the tree. In this metaphor, the tree is us as we go about our daily lives and the fruit fly is those ‘entities’ that exist behind the ‘veil’ (Dark Matter/Higgs/Aether). In reality, from our human perspective we can ‘see’ all of it, if we chose to. Our perspective in reality is from the “As above, so below” median point…that point between Liminality and the Infinite.

Part B: Aether units were killed by Einstein and the Michelson-Morley experiment…NOT!
Every witch, warlock, sorceror/ess, shaman, even those who have witnessed the mathematical Fractal expression know about Aether Units, although that term may never pass their lips. Dark Matter, matter that is undetectable but alters the function of known matter indirectly, can form clumps and often looks just like recognized known matter such as dendrites within the brain and cosmic galaxies such as in this video. Dark Matter exists, like we of known matter, within those Aether units/Dark Energies.

An Aether unit is basically energetic fields that express as spheres within cubes within spheres to infinity that those who study esotericism may recognize as Metatron’s Cube, the manifestation of all Sacred Geometry. Cymatics…the nature of all quantum biology, matter (crop circles, vibrational patterns, frequencies, etc.,), dark matter, ALL of it!

Credit: Article 102A: Physics - Aether Units - Part 6 - The Torus & Nassim Haramein - Cosmic Core (cosmic-core.org)

As an aside, it’s theorized that the Aether was debunked, which is incorrect. The issue is this…can a shark experimentally detect the ocean’s water while testing for it from within the ocean’s water? The answer is no, it cannot. You see, the air that we breathe is a function of the aether, as is everything else. So how do you experimentally verify the existence of EVERYTHING when you are standing smack dab in the center of it and everything you use to test for it requires it to function? It’s a flawed experiment from the onset. It cannot detect an abnormal alteration or outcome as all those parameters exist within the medium itself! In other words, any ‘aether fluctuations’ would be written off as ‘air disturbance’ etc., but that’s a function of the aether. See my point?

So where does that leave us with regards to Magick and Science.
Well here’s the break down from my perspective (See what I did there? )

Dark Matter comprises 15% of our known universe. That’s 3 times more than known matter…us. And all of it is a function of Aether Units/Dark Energy.

What if that veil is simply the separation of Dark Matter, wherein all other entities exist, and us? So, Archangels, Goblins, faeries, gnomes, Sylphs, Angels, Djinn, daemons, devils, ghosts, etc., are all Dark Matter entities. This would prove the metaphysical/paranormal belief true, that there is a tangible but traversable divide between the two - known and Dark Matter. It would also be where those who have died ‘pass’ onto, existing in another form all around us.

Here’s the kicker…there’d be scientific theories supporting it. That would mean that there’d also be scientific support in understanding it, testing for it, interacting with it, and potentially, aiding all of humanity with it!

Well, anyway…I can dream can’t I?

Thanks for reading and stay awesome!

[Wysteria_Norn]

Yours is a most wonderful, visually appealing, and inspiring post. I believe most of us witches and sorcerers would whole-heartedly agree!

Thanks for this!