🦄 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - The Bestiary

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet!

Thank you again to everyone who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Let a Witch Unwind

After a healthy moment to relax and refresh, it’s time to pop off the couch and into a truly wild world

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

The Bestiary: Mythological Creatures

To many, witches exist only in fairytales- and yet, here we are!

It’s time to dive into the world of the entities we share pages with in the books of legends and lore

From the folktales of old to modern pop culture- there are many curious and fantastical entities that delight the mind and scare the senses

The world of magickal creatures is very vast and difficult to define: from Fae to ghosts, dragons to demons, and even witches ourselves- each mention of a creature will get varying responses on just how “real” or “fantastical” they may be.

For this challenge, you are free to pursue your own beliefs and experiences- do all or some of the creatures of mythology exist in this world? Are they possibilities of other worlds and realms- acessible by astral travel or deep meditation?

Whether it is through research, working directly with magickal creatures, simply using their stories as magickal inspiration, or something else, this challenge calls on you to explore magickal creatures of myth- how you do so is up to you!

So are you ready? Because it’s…

CHALLENGE TIME!

As you tackle this challenge, please remember to be respectful of the opinions and experiences of your fellow coven members. What one may consider to be fantasy may be an important part of someone else’s beliefs.

The Infinite Roots Coven is a very open and supportive place- no matter your unique magickal practice, all respectful responses to this challenge are very welcome!

Picture from Pixabay

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STEP 1 : Magick from Myth

Magickal creatures are aplenty- there are as many ways to take on this challenge as there are supernatural entities!

Not sure where to begin?

To help you get started, the following list has a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge!

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Hit the Bestiary

Unfamiliar with fantastic beasts? A great place to enter this challenge is through researching on magickal creatures.

Here are few lists of magickal creatures to help begin your hunt:

• Wikipedia’s collection of Legendary Creatures from around the world, sorted by type
• List of Fae from around the world
• Wikipedia’s list of Cryptids and where in the world they live
• Information on Faeries/Fae from Celtic folklore
• List of Dragons in mythology around the world
• Collection of Slavic creatures from Slavic myths and legends
• List of youkai, ghosts, gods, and other legendary creatures in Japanese folklore
• Boson University’s article on the Three Types of Real Vampires
• List of mythical creatures that are actually real

Types of Fairies & Fairy Facts for Witches

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Magickal Familiars

Witches are often paired with a curious beast all their own- a magickal creature to help them in their practice. Different from a household pet, familiars are often believed to be demons or spirits taking the shape of an animal.

Familiars or a Pet?

Familiar Spirits vs. Power Animals: What is the Difference?

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Work with the Fae

From home protection to enhancing spellwork, there are many benefits and potential reasons one might consider working with the Fae.

But before you do, remember that not all Fae are happy to help- there are many who enjoy trickery or can ever cause harm. Before consider working with Them, read the 8 Rules for Working with the Fae and always keep your safety in mind.

→ Working with the Fae

Spirits of the Hearth: Protective Home Deities

Glamour Magick

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Spirit Work

“Spirit work” consists of any and all work that deals with various types of spirits- be they spectors, ghosts, ghouls, etc. A very popular area of magick, check out the Spirit Work tag in the forum for plenty of ideas and experiences!

Elemental Spirits & the Four Directions of Magick

Ancestor Spirit Altars

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Dragons and Draconic Magick

One of the most popular magickal creatures, dragons take on many forms and roles across cultures around the world. They are the central focus of magick in the Draconic practice.

Elemental Dragon Invocation Ritual

Dragon Flame Tea Meditation

Additional ideas for magick involving dragons can be found in the previous Dragon Magick Challenge

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…And More!

Whether you’re off to tame a beast or choose to use a creature of legend as inspiration for your magick this week- you are free to pursue this challenge in whatever way best suits your unique magickal practice!

Picture from Linked in Spirit: Chiron, the Wounded Healer

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience

Click here for notes about challenge inclusivity

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge by practicing magick in line with the current theme. For 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 .

To participate in the challenge, please share:

1. About your experience exploring magickal creatures this week

For your entry to be counted, please write about your experience in the comments below and/or create a new thread in the forums.

Note : If you choose to create a new thread, please tag the challenge by adding a hyperlink back to this post so that I can easily find it- thank you!

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This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)
( 2022-05-10T05:00:00Z )

(Note that the time zone is CET- you can use this time zone calculator to switch into your time zone!)

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.

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From CNN: Protection from Energy Vampires

A warm reminder that all 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 Desktop Nexus: Witch’s Familiar

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Creatures of legend and monsters from lore
Across the world, so many to explore!

Reach out your hand and take a paw,
But avoid the fangs and watch out for the claw

They’re there to help and magick enrich,
So don’t be scared of the friends of a witch!

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Blessed be!

[Susurrus]

I’ll have to think on this one! I found a ring of flowers in my garden. The flowers came up in a circle on their own. I could also do something for my ancestors or with Brighid. Oh the possibilities!

[jessica72]

Oooooo fun. I remember as a kid my dad would take me to Kings Park. It’s the our state botanical garden in WA. I remember he would warn me about the “drop bears” basically a ferral koala bear that hunts bushwalkers. They attack their prey by literally dropping out of the trees onto peoples heads.

Hahaha so much of the fauna here wants to munch on people. Everywhere you go in aus something has the ability or inclination to kill you. Even the mythical creatures are deadly.

Drop Bears: If attacked, take two Panadol and prepare for certain death

We all know the joke; we’ve all pulled the punch line. Usually on some newly arrived tourist, terrified of a country filled with man-eating sharks, killer crocs and venomous snakes. So what’s the harm to add one more? Even better, why not take our fluffiest, and thus cutest, creature, the snuggleriffic koala, and turn him into a remorseless widow-maker with a taste for the sweet, sweet tang of human flesh?

For those who don’t know the details, get up to speed here and remember a few basics, in case anyone with an accent asks: Drop Bears are related to koalas, although they’re slightly darker with blood-dripping fangs, and they hunt at night.

DID YOU KNOW?

Here at AT we have no ethical qualms whatsoever in suggesting to British backpackers that vegemite smeared liberally on the face is the only effective deterrent for Drop Bears.

Source:

5 Interesting Australian Myths and Legends

I had a bit of a Google and it turns out there’s a few more mythical creatures native to this island I call home.

Australian Mythical and Magical Creatures | Mythic Australia

[Phoenix_Fire]

You keep the drop bears away with vegimite behind your ears​:joy: lol we took kids on hikes heaps over the past 20 years and the amount of time drop bears was mentioned​:joy:
Oh and i love Kings park its an awesome place to go.so much to explore. Just need to find the time to go. But yeah those drop bears lol just need a jar of vegimite not sure what it is in vegimite that protects you from drop bears ( maybe the black colour??maybe some ingrediamt in it ) But its one of those things always recommended to avoid drop bears coming after you.

[Ostara]

This is going to be interesting!

[TheMuslimWitch]

I love this challenge and am intrigued to see what people believe in as we are all unique! I personally similar to the fae (which i do believe exist but haven’t tried to work with them yet), think (although maybe a touchy topic for some) think angels should be included… I do strongly believe in angels, however i have been interested and am starting to seriously believe and consider the fact that if there are innocent good angels, there must be bad (as known by many Christians and Muslims alike as the devil).
Asides from the devil, perhaps there are angels that are here on earth just not recognisable to us humans and they have both good and bad with all different interests…
What made my little brain think of this was the book i am reading called:
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, which was talking about many different beings and creatures that many believe in including archangels but in a more down to earth and sinister sense…
Let me know what you think??? Any comments?

[Amethyst]

I’m wondering Bry, would Cryptids count as a magical creatures?

[jessica72]

Maybe it’s the smell of Vegemite! That should be enough to keep a drop bear at bay. Pungent stuff that it is!

Dad used to say he’d never be dropped on by a drop bear cause he ate Vegemite every day for breakfast. Mum would say that he used to have it 3 inches thick on his toast

I just kind of remember growing up being slightly terrified of koalas. Especially when mum and dad took me to Perth Zoo and there they were the cousins of drop bears looking all cute and innocent up in thier trees doing completely normal koala things or even worse at Caversham Wildlife Park and people were holding and getting all cuddly with koalas! My 6 year old self was thinking… you guys are nuts!

Drop bears are certainly an aussie institution. Poor souls who are brave enough to come visit… oh don’t mind the legend of killer bears dropping from the trees

You know what… I am totally inspired… I think that I might see if mum would like to go to Kings Park on Sunday for Mother’s Day and take Dillon and Denzel out for a day of on-lead, footpath designated bush-whacking. Maybe do some drop bear hunting in memory of dad.

That was really nice actually. I haven’t thought of those memories in years. It would have been dad’s 72nd birthday on the 15th this month. But we lost him to cancer back when I was 8. Might be nice to put a face to him… I can’t watch Magnum P.I. with Tom Selleck without thinking of dad lol.

Goodness look. I was white blonde once. He’d probably have a fit if he knew I now took after Morticia Addams I was very lucky. The time I had with him we have good memories.

Hmmmm now I’ve stared thinking…

Maybe I might even see if I can do some spirit communication.

Last night at about 1am someone sat on the end of my bed. I was awake, couldn’t sleep… as usual but you know that distinctive feeling of when someone sits on the end of your bed? It was that. There was even a slight indentation in the blanket I swear. Miles my cat had asked to be let out a little while before and he asks to be let back in at my bedroom door, so it wasn’t him. Denzel was snoring his box off beside me as usual. So it spooked me a little. Needless to say I didn’t sleep well if at all lol.

I think I am going to try some spirit communication with my pendulum. Either my pendulum jar or my trusty board and pendulum with simple yes/no answers.

Find out if there is someone or was someone a ghost, a spirit or a whatever. Heck I don’t mind as long as they are benevolent they are welcome to stay. Maybe it’s family, maybe my guardian, maybe it’s dad coming to check in.

Although…

Image source: Pinterest

[Susurrus]

My guardian angel has a similar thought process

[jem1]

Oooooh,I’m excited for this one

[Kasandra]

For some reason, the YouTube algorithm has been suggesting videos of foxes lately. That gave me the idea to choose the kitsune (or how it is written in kanji…狐… and in katakana キツネ) of Japanese folklore.
Not sure…yet…if their are any spells or meditations that I can write that involve kitsune, but I’ll think of something!

[Garnet]

@BryWisteria
Narnia and the Jungle Book and Lord of the rings, Oh MY! (Lions, tigers and dragons…)
This one should be interesting. We have so many wonderful and imaginative people here.
LET THE CHALLENGE BEGIN!

Blessings, Garnet

[martje]

I love this challenge! Faeries, unicorns, dragons, all kind of creatures, I believe in everyone of them and it makes me happy to bring them alive with so many of us

[rachel21]

I love this challenge I can’t wait to read all the entries!

[marsha]

Such an interesting challenge @BryWisteria because I woke up this morning after slaying demons in my dreams last night! This presents a lot of interesting choices for me Thank you so much!

[marsha]

Love this @jessica72! Very interesting… We have “Big Foot” here in Colorado, oh what possibilities!

[Garnet]

@marsha We have a big foot in Florida…no, wait, that’s my son he wears a size 14 shoe.
Love ya
Garnet

[marsha]

I love you @Garnet

[Garnet]

Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - The Bestiary
Challenge entry - Garnet
Most of these are from memories, I do love legend movies!

From the Sphinx of ancient Egypt to the dragons of China and the Minotaur of ancient Greece, one thing all cultures’ myths have in common are fantastical creatures and monsters.

The Sphinx of legend was a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a Pharaoh. You had to answer a question/riddle to pass him or he would kill you

Lets talk about Vampires . We’ve all felt and know of psychic vampires. We’ve even studied them on Spells 8
I do not believe in "I’m going to bite your neck.’ Blah.
People who are frightened enough will believe in anything.

Ya want something to scare you 'less?

The Irish are unbelievably superstitious. They’ve given us the “ Banshees ” A beautiful young woman or tiny crone, who shreek to herald the death of a family member. DO NOT WANT TO MEET ONE!

The Leprechaun was like the Lucky Charms man. A little man dressed in green, was a shoemaker and was said to keep a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you could catch him, he had to grant you 3 Wishes. But watch this one, he’s Wiley.

My very favorite is–> Dragons

From all the continents of the world there are stories of Dragon.
Eastern and Western Europe, The east, China, India, etc. Even Australia & the America’s there’s a tale of some sort of dragon.
Fire breathing? Yep, if you live in the west. Serpentine dragons who fly?
Yep, you’ll find those too. The legend of these flying creatures are both good and bad. Mostly they cook and eat you, with or without ketchup. The days of the darling Elliot of Pete’s dragon or Puff the magic Dragon, have blurred into history, like the hydra or unicorns.
Fact or fiction? Who knows. Perhaps the Dragons left when the age of Man started. But there’s a shred of truth to all legends and myths.

This one I found in Babylonian mythology

Drawing of an Assyrian intaglio depicting scorpion men. Image credit: Wikipedia -Public Domain but I’ve also seen this pic related to creation.
Aqrabuamelu
Otherwise known as a scorpion man, the Aqrabuaeku is a mythical creature with the body of a scorpion and the face, torso and arms of a man.
By using their tails to sting like their animal counterpart, Aqrabuamelus were said to stand guard outside the gates of the sun god Shamash at the mountains of Mashu. Talk about the scorpion king.

Aqrabuamelu – Mysterious Scorpion Men In Babylonian Mythology - Ancient Pages

Golem

Did you know that the name Golem actual comes from Hebrew folklore? It was a creature made with clay and magic. Some stories say they were created to protect against anti-Semitic attacks.

the Bogeyman
Do any of you remember your folks threatening you with the Bogeyman? I do, he was a creature that scared kids into behaving. I still sometimes shudder.

Mermaid
Who hasn’t heard of the exotic Mermaid luring men to them with sweet song? I learned this one in Germany. In the Frankfurt Zoo, many years ago they had a Manatee & it scared the out of me. The Guide said that is was a Mermaid trapped in that form until she returned to the sea. Sad, even for a myth.

Happy (Mushu) Bad (Smaug) Flying or under-ground, through millenniums of legends we are still fascinated, & terrified.
I don’t work with any of them, But I still like Dragons best.
Blessed be

Garnet

[TheMuslimWitch]

To get my creativity working and in honour of our challenge this week I brought these new tarot cards and this wonderful colouring book….