Merry meet!
Thank you once again to all those who joined in last weekâs Weekly Witchy Challenge - A Witchâs Incense 
After rolling up resins and herbs to bask in sensational magickal scents, weâre hitting the books this week 
The theme for this weekâs challenge was inspired by the clever @starborn and isâŚ
The Art of Substitutions 
Thereâs a spell youâd like to cast, but youâre missing one or more ingredients. What do you do? 
Those new to the Craft may feel that, without an ingredient or too, their only choice is to call off the spell. But that doesnât have to be the case! Rest assured that, with a little magickal knowledge, you can keep on casting with or without all the ingredients on the spell list 
How? Substitutions!
Substitutions are the act of taking one ingredient in a spell or ritual recipe and exchanging it for another item. The new item should have the same or very similar importance as the item it is replacing. This may be in purpose, fragrance, taste, color, association, etc.
By substituting items in magick, the caster is able to successfully cast spells even if they donât have all of the listed ingredients. Studying substitutions also helps to deepen oneâs understanding of the bonds between things and the many connections throughout the world 
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This weekâs challenge is all about magickal substitutions - how you choose to take on this theme is up to you.
So are you ready? Because itâsâŚ
CHALLENGE TIME!
Picture from Spells8: Magickal Cheat Sheets
STEP 1 : Switching Things Up
This challenge is all about magickal substituitions - but as always, feel free to explore the theme in a way that aligns with you and your unique practice.
Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge.
Please make sure you are logged into your Spells8 Account so you can view all of the resources shared!
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Substitutions 101: How Do You Make Substitutions?
Whether youâre new to the idea of substitutions or get excited about magickal theory, a great place to begin is at the beginning. For your entry this week, consider exploring how substitutions can be made in spellwork.
How to Substitute Spell Ingredients?
Substitute by purpose: If, for example, a love spell calls for Honeysuckle but you donât have it, use a Carnation instead. If a prosperity spell requires Blessed Thystle, you may use Basil instead.
Substitute by fragrance: When making anointing oils and other potions, the fragrance of the ingredient can be substituted by a similar one.
Follow your intuition. Ask yourself âIf instead of casting a spell I was cooking, what ingredient would I use to substitute this?â
From Spells8: Magical Substitutions: Herbs, Candles, and Spell Ingredients
Related discussions and resources:
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Finding Substitutions 
Once you understand how substitutions work, itâs time to start exploring possible substitutions! One of the best ways to find items related to other items is by looking at lists of Magickal Correspondences.
Magickal correspondences are a fundamental concept in many occult practices, serving as a system of symbolic associations that connect different elements of the universe.
They are based on the idea of âas above, so below,â which suggests that there are meaningful connections between the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (the individual).
From Spells8: Magickal Correspondences
If, for example, a spell requires the use of lavender for relaxation but you are allergic to lavender, you could look at a list of Herbal Correspondences to find other herbs that are also used for relaxation (such as chamomile or lemon balm).
In another example, if you were making incense or a magickal oil and needed a certain scent, you could use a Fragrance Substitution List to find other ingredients that have a similar scent.
Related discussions and resources:
- đ Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Magickal Correspondences
- Rare Herb Substitutes
- Substitute for lavender
- substitute for alum powder
- substitute for juniper berry in four thieves oil
- Substitute for Lemon balm?
- Substitutions for Hair
- Black Salt Substitute
- Substitute for rose hips?
- Substitute for calendula flower/oil?
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Unviersal Substitutors
Does the idea of substitutions make your head spin? No worries - youâll be happy to know that there are a special few ingredients known as âuniversalâ. These items work as a âstand-inâ for all other missing ingredients, similar to place holder.
For your entry this week, consider learning about or working with a universal ingredient.
Related discussions and resources:
- Why White is Universal đ One Witch's Opinions
- The Inner Temple for Casting Spells without Tools â Spells8
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Make the Switch!
Understand the idea of substitutions and know how to find some? Great! If youâre ready to put theory into practice, why not take a spell (such as one you donât have all the ingredients for) and make some switches that will allow you to still carry out the spell. Give it a go! 
Not sure what spell to practice with? There are plenty in the spells tag and in the Spells8 Spell Collections.
Spells for Anti-Anxiety and Stress Relief
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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 substitutions 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 
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 donât 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 âreplyâ 
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 âchallenge-entryâ tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you! 
Deadline 
This challenge will close in 6 DAYS
To join in, please share your experience by:
Tuesday, August 13 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2024-08-13T11:00:00Z
(Note that the time zone is ET- if you donât see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)
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.
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 
Thatâs the nicest thing anyoneâs said to me today!
)
. This should be a fun challenge. Chaos here we come, now what can Loki and I blow up next 
The correspondence book on amazon is definitely on the top of my wish list! Iâve even substituted tarot cards in place of elemental candles for a ritual on a windy solstice! And if i cant find a substitute on the chart, or the subscription doesnt feel right, i use my intuition 
Challenge Entry 
