@JollyStar, wow, this is gorgeous!! Excellent job! 
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My challenge entry - The Bestiary
Selkies
I think the first time I ever heard of a Selkie was when I was a child and read about them in my Faeries book.
Scanned from my personal copy of Faeries
Found in Celtic and Norse mythology, selkies are shapeshifters that are capable of shedding their seal skin to their human form. I think one of the stories I remember was of a fisherman, unopen stumbling across a selkie woman in human form and taking her seal skin. Most of the tales are of a long mostly happy life with marriage, love, and children but a constant longing of the Selkie to return to the sea. The tales end with either the woman or one of her children discovering the seal skin hidden away, donning her skin, and returning to the sea.
Source: Selkie Girl
Doing my research on them, I realized I have seen The Secret of Roan Inish a long time ago and decided to rewatch it.
Some of the tales told about Selkie’s are less benign with some islands attributing mysterious deaths to the wrath of a wronged selkie.
(Source)
Thank you for the interesting and thought-provoking challenge!
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My challenge entry is here: https://forum.spells8.com/t/my-weekly-challenge-entry-the-bestiary/22584
Thanks for such a great challenge, @BryWisteria, and to all of you for your amazing entries!! I learned so much!! 
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This challenge is now CLOSED 
The coven has been blessed with a Bestiary of our very own- thank you so much to everyone who jumped in and explored a favorite mythical beast or magickal creature! There were so many really cool (and spooky!) ones shared 
A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details for everyone who submitted an entry. 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! 
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ahh i love all this info!
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@Phoenix_Fire It makes me so happy that you enjoy the challenges so much, Danni! 
It sounds like a love for creatures runs in your family, congrats to you for embracing your bond with the phoenix 
As for your question about whether spirit/power/totem/etc animals would count as mythological, I think it is the same as angels or demons- the answer will depend on who you ask!
The lines between categories can be as elusive as the creatures themselves- what is a mythical creature, and what is a divine being? What makes something a god or just a powerful entity? Some would consider deities and spirits in the same category as beings of myth, while others may put them in another category. “Real” and “fake”, “mythical” and “divine” are all terms that come from perspective. For the sake of this challenge (and all challenges!) it is totally fine to share your own personal thoughts and take the stance you feel is best for you 
Great work on the challenge- thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences, Danni! 
@Martje You are very kind, Martje, thank you so much! Everyone’s passion is really contagious- I get so excited when people enjoy the theme!
@JollyStar Oh my goodness- look at those beautiful faeries in their lovely garden! 
Your artwork is stunning, Amber 
I especially love the colors you chose- this is really pretty to look at. Thank you so much for sharing your talent!
@Wysteria_Norn I’m certainly no expert in Icelandic folklore, but what I saw on my trip there and heard about afterwards has all been very interesting! Iceland is indeed a very magickal place where nature has great power and presence. I have to admit the trolls scare me a bit, but ironically I really enjoy the story of the (somewhat evil) Yule Cat 
Thank you so much for sharing the guide to Icelandic folklore- this is awesome, Wysteria!
@Missa Thank you so much for the videos, Missa! That besitary oracle looks really cool!
@Amethyst Mothman! Mothman! Mothman! 
He has gained quite a following these days- I’ve been seeing so many memes and so much art of Mothman lately 
Pop culture makes him seem like a pretty chill dude, but it looks like he has a pretty dark backstory! Although… perhaps he turns up trying to warn people to stay away? Maybe he’s just misunderstood! 
(no moth emoji, so we’ll have to pretend with a butterfly )
Thanks so much for sharing about this beloved cryptid, Amethyst!
@Satu_TheGreenWitch I first learned about brownies in the book called Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke- I remember having to look up what they were because I had never heard of them before! Brownies come in so many forms and people have so many different opinions on them, but they are indeed a beloved and interesting homely creature
Thank you for the wealth of information as well as the list of offerings! And interesting to see lilac on the list, it goes along with it from the discussion about plants that attract spirits.
I wish you all the best with winning over the heart of a brownie- good luck, Satu! 
@AileyGrey What a cool assignment to make your own bestiary! 
Even if it didn’t work out this time, it’s always a good project for a rainy day, after all, it sounds like a love of magickal creatures is shared throughout your whole family! 
Such a lovely song and poem too 
Thank you so much for sharing!
@CandiAnn Hooray for free comic book day! Tik Tok has a lot of everything- I’m not too surprised there are collections of mythical creatures too haha. And oh goodness, I’m glad the opportunity came up that your son shared about the shadow people he’s been seeing- he clearly trusts you a lot to confide in you about such things. It sounds like they are very protective and watch over your son and his girlfriend- never hurts to look into it more, but it sounds like they are very helpful entities for them 
It does sound like this challenge opened up Pandora’s Box for you, Candice! Thanks so much for sharing your entry- good luck with your further research!
@Torista Beautiful exploration of the quetzal, Torista- I can’t say I knew much about them before, this was very educational for me! 
It is clear that the quetzal has a very important place in lore and religion, as well as a very rich cultural background. Again, I didn’t know much before so thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!
Gorgeous addition to your Grimoire- the pictures are stunning!
@Carrie4 Who said cats are boring!? Certainly not me- I am all here for delving into the history and mythology of our beloved furry friends! They have won a place in both our lore and our hearts, all around the world and across cultures.
Thank you so much for this wonderful entry- i really enjoyed reading it! Also, please give Ruby, Cinnamon, and Queen Nefertiti some pets and snuggles from me- they are all so sweet
@Melinda6 Welcome to the challenge, Melinda! Your fairy door is adorable- look at those cute offerings, it looks like a lovely place for a fairy picnic I’m so glad that you and your kids had fun with both crafting and learning- great job!
@Kasandra I was able to deepen my knowledge about kitsune by a lot thanks to your entry- this was so much fun to read, Kasandra! 
The distinction between Inari’s foxes and the “field foxes” is an important one. If I remember right, I’ve seen some people draw a line between foxes with magickal powers and just plain old normal foxes too, but that may be something that differs from person to person.
As for the version of the fox that turns into a woman, I’ve heard takes where they do that out of fun just to trick people, or to play part in the human world like the famous fox spirit Tamamo no Mae, but also sometimes to attack men and eat their liver too 
. Very curious youkai indeed!
It’s not often that Shinto deities are worshiped outside of Japan, and when the subject is brought up, often people make the point that Shinto is a religion unique to Japan. But there are Shinto shrines outside of Japan (like these ones in the USA) and even at the ones in Japan, Shinto shrines are open to tourists and everyone is welcome to make offerings and pray there. I visited several Inari shrines during my time in Japan and always found them welcoming and eager for others to experience 
This is a gorgeous invocation chant, and I think adding the sacred bells is a lovely touch to the ritual I’m really glad you dove into Japanese folklore for this challenge, Kasandra, as it’s something I find fascinating too! Thank you so much for sharing
@Ostara Cheers to that- faeries are always fun to learn and hear about! Thank you so much for the helpful list of rules to deal with, faeries require a lot of mindfulness in order to stay safe. This is a great list!
@Artemisia Selkies!!! 
I’m not sure exactly what it is, but the idea of being able to shapeshift into a seal is really really cool for me- selkies don’t get nearly as much spotlight as mermaids do, but they deserve the attention too! 
Thanks so much for sharing your exploration of Selkies, Kat- I really enjoyed reading it!
@BrightBear Thanks again for your wonderful entry in the other thread, BrightBear! 
The Props and Presents post for this challenge is now LIVE in the forum and badges have been sent out to everyone who shared an entry 
Thanks again to everyone who joined in for the challenge- there were so many fun, thrilling, and terrifyingly amazing creatures shared! I hope you all enjoyed this challenge as much I enjoyed reading everyone’s entries
Blessed be to the Cryptozoologists and all those who enjoy flipping through the pages of a besitary!
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How exciting! Congratulations to everyone! I am so inspired to hunt down a cool beastiary now… and maybe get around to finishing the one we started!
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I loved The Secret of Roan Inish! That is such a great movie! I’ll need to watch it again. Thanks, @Artemisia!
I think it’s trying to warn or scare people away myself. But yeah, weird backstory. Glad you liked love!
Everyone did such a good job this week, I’ve loved all the entries!
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Here’s another interesting tidbit I forgot to mention. Kitsune have a hoshi no tama (literally “star ball”). It is essentially their life force and if they’re separated from it for too long, they’ll die. If you retrieve a kitsune’s lost star ball, they’ll owe you a favor. I’ve seen statues of kitsune carrying a star ball and wondered what that was.
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Really enjoyed reading your entry for the Quetzalcoati and adored your grimoire pages that you made!!! Great job~
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Thank you for the wealth of information on brownies! It brings memories of childhood and me pouring over my faerie book daydreaming. Something always captivated me about brownies, I suppose it was the help with chores part that caught my eye as a kid
It had never occurred to me to try to attract one, and given that I now live on the shore of a lake in the woods, maybe that’s something to think about!
Amazing work on your entry and good luck in your quest to attract one!
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I’ve not found anything on Florida faeries but i am CONVINCED thats what these flying lights are. I watched them on my ring for 10 minutes, flying around always in sync. Any thoughts? You may have to zoom in on yhe pic to see the two sets of “lights”
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Jessica,
Some good memories thank you for sharing, I like to think of an angel protecting me as a spirit. A guardian spirit now in angel from.
When I was a girl I had a very vivid dream of my grandfather who had passed went grocery shopping and stood at the foot of my bed. I had a vision he was looking after me or that he had a bag of groceries cause he loved to eat. My family was upset and thought I was making it up. They asked me over and over was it true did I see him? Why you and not me? I guess I have a better imagination. It gave me peace 
You and your dad had such a fun day that day huh and what a cool boat!
By the way, I had blonde hair too but yours was probably so much blonder! I had never seen a boat like that one. That day looked fun and what a great memory! The big ocean your dad’s arms around his baby girl with a big smile
I feel his arms around you still by his softness and the way he cared for you!
Thank you for sharing what a great mem!
Jeannie
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@AileyGrey Wishing you all the best with your besitary! I think it would be super cool to have a homemade one all your own
@Amethyst It’s kind of a nice thought to think that some big fuzzy bug man is out there trying to help people by warning them- in a bit of creepy way, but hey, it’s the thought that counts!
@Kasandra That is super interesting- I had never heard of that before, Kasandra! Ohhhh if I ever make it back to Japan someday I’ll have to look closer at the statues. There is so much hidden symbolism there to explore. Thank you so much for the new tidbit, it is appreciated!
@Peaches They move around in sync? Ohhhh that is neat! Perhaps they are will o the wisps or other Fae lights- maybe consider leaving an offering for them?
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I definitely need to do that!
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Good luck- I hope you can make some friendly Fae friends!
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Oddly enough, I purchased my first “The Witches Almanac” in a Reyjavik bookstore back in the mid-1990’s. Strange how these things work themselves out.
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@Wysteria_Norn It sounds like the pieces all fell into place for you, Wysteria- that’s really cool!
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I really love this entry @JollyStar ir really colorful and bright. The image of the two fairies also speaks volume you are now inspiring me to color something
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