🪢 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - The Eclectic Witch: Interdisciplinary Magick

[Medea]

Weekly Witchy Challenge Entry - Eclectic Witch and Magick

I knew at a very young age, maybe 5 or 6 years old, I was different. Fast forwarding 50 years, I am an Eclectic Witch. The Goddess I worship is Hecate. Spells 8 has been a blessing for me. This is a family that I feel very comfortable with, and everyone has been very helpful, and I am learning so much about me. So many “things” have happened, and I have not understood why but, from the lessons, my sister Witches, feedback, research for the Challenges and so on…it has allowed me to see/visualize and answer so many questions that I have had for years. I thank you all for this! I have been lost, overwhelmed, confused and the list goes on lately. I need to get “me” back and when I saw this Challenge, I knew it was time. I am going to incorporate Eclecticism and Magick with the help of my deity, Hecate.

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

I love this! I have just sowed all my seeds in the greenhouse so hoping they all sprout!

[heather75]

@Cosmic_Curiosity I’m sending blessings to your garden and seedlings! I hope it’s a bountiful year.

[CelestiaMoon]

@BryWisteria

explore the many pieces that come together to make the wonderfully unique witch that you are today

I wanted to give this one a try too
So Challenge Entry!

@BryWisteria

Things you might consider include:

• Religions or Religious Influences

Wicca was where I started out, and still enjoy drawing rituals and practices from. I love nature and the Goddess, which to me are in part one and the same. And I adore the moon

My tantric practice draws from Hinduism, Buddhism and Tao. Also my worldview aligns pretty well with elements of the three. From Hinduism, I’m feeling Shaktism, Kashmir / Trika Shaivism and Advaita Vedanta are my major influences.

@BryWisteria

Philosophies

The Existential Kink philosophy is a big one for me. Roughly speaking our non-dual divinity that’s the pure light of consciousness, decided to incarnate as you and me, and play a little game. Everything that we’re experiencing is part of that game, and secretly we’re enjoying it all like the divine being that we are. For one reason or another we might think or feel it’s not “appropriate” to enjoy something, such as shame or failure, which creates all kinds of complications in our life that tends to attract those exact things.

Some parts of Existential Kink also draw on Thelema, Kabbalah, spiritual alchemy, Golden Dawn, and tantra too.

Tantra is also a philosophy I think? It’s about the dance of Shiva and Shakti, the all-pervading consciousness and the all-encompassing love. Giving and receiving, witnessing and performing, carrying and being carried. In practice it can be sexual or not, or make you think what really is sexual to you. Say, touching your partner with the intention of each of the elements, or entering their chakras with your presence. A combination of body and energy work.

@BryWisteria

Heritage and Family

There isn’t really much from here, I’ve pretty much started from a clean slate as much as I know.

@BryWisteria

Locations and Local Traditions/Culture

I enjoy my local spiritual groups, which for now include tantra and women’s circles

Something I really like in Finnish people is that we’re generally quiet and contemplative, and enjoy our solitude. We tend to give space to others, and err on the side of not bothering people. That leaves me to do my own thing, with people whose company I enjoy

We don’t live very densely here, and there’s plenty of untouched nature. Thousands of lakes, and forests everywhere Nature is my church, and there Finland provides.

As sensual experiences go (and I do love them as a tantrika ) sauna is pretty wonderful. It’s also been regarded as a liminal place, where life and death and all the elements meet. Love

@BryWisteria

Education

I have a Master’s in Information Technology, with minors in physics and mathematics. Collating knowledge and making sense of systems is something I could do for hours, and often do. No wonder correspondences were my gateway to witchcraft

Before finding spirituality I tried to make sense of how the universe works through quantum physics and the theory of relativity. Even though they explain a lot about the physical phenomena, and even some of the energetic, there’s no accounting for soul in those equations. Something was always missing.

Psychology is another interest of mine, though I never studied it formally. Especially everything to do with the subconscious, emotions, the body and trauma.

@BryWisteria

Deities

I believe there’s only one consciousness that we share, and that’s the one divine consciousness, which is love.

Other than that, I like to connect with Goddesses especially. I don’t really ask for things, I trust in their best judgment. But I enjoy feeling their presence Sometimes I leave them offerings, or chant their mantras if applicable.

Goddesses I’ve felt a connection to thus far have been the Triple Goddess, Lilith, Selene, Hecate, Brigid, Kali, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Bast. If I forgot anyone, my sincerest apologies to them. From the Gods, the Horned God, Pan, and Shiva.

@BryWisteria

Elements

I’ve always felt especially connected to Water and Fire To Air I’ve had a connection though my mind. I’ve had to work on my grounding, but I’ve got better at it. The best way to do it is to go into a forest and leave everything behind for a while Then carry that grounding to the rest of my day.

Watching fire or water is one of my favorite things to do Feeling the gentle breeze on my skin, and my bare feet against soft ground As mentioned before, I’m very sensual

If I’m going to get married, I want all the elements there to witness the union

@BryWisteria

Favorite Areas of Magick

I started out with dream work and correspondences, still love them. I expanded from there to reading tarot and oracle cards. Then making potions. Meditation definitely too. Occasional candle magick and rituals. Energy work. Crystals. Some astrology too. Somatic practices. Shadow work. Drumming. Making moon water, and following her cycles. I wonder if I already got everything? So many lovely things!

[Jeannie1]

Soifra Strega,
I had to get on the ban wagon with you too cause I am still thinking of what I want to post!
! I always had a nac for learning what makes us different from each other . I have been all over the world with different kinds of cultures and ethnic groups! I can truly say that I acquired so many different traditions from everywhere! I think this is why I like being a eclectic witch! I still need to figure out what I want to post!
Celestial Moon-

@CelestiaMoon

tantric witchcraft to get the energies flowing?

Tell me more!! Lol I am open to new possibilities!
Garnet- I like how you broke it down with all the elements! I think I am thinking about prayer and how I pray! I have been thinking that I have been praying to Hecate but I also want to include some more masculine energies so working with Fire is masculine thanks for the reminder! I knew that but been feeling a little unbalanced and I thought it had to who I am praying too! I just want to make it even and balanced! I hope that makes sense.
Christina- I’ve scrubbed my body with black salt but never coffe grounds! I bet you feel grounded too girl! I am glad you are doing the work to feel good inside!
Muslim Witch-

@TheMuslimWitch

then no point to waste my precious breath on them

I feel the same way you do about sharing with others my practice cause its a on going battle! I just feel that if someone wants to know about the craft they can always come to me! I will be happy to help if they ask!

[quote=“TheMuslimWitch, post:15, topic:35387”]
Being in Australian is a blessing. We are one of the most Multicultural places on earth and you can see religions and beliefs galore here without discrimination. The law also is very serious about discrimination and one can be seriously charged for the act.
[/quote] I think I should tell you my aunt loves men from Australia! I love the art from there she has some art pieces from there !

I thought this would be a good time to share!
Jeannie

[CelestiaMoon]

@Jeannie1

@CelestiaMoon

tantric witchcraft to get the energies flowing?

Tell me more!! Lol I am open to new possibilities!

I’ve been trying to come up with something, but instead of anything grand and showy it’s all been very slow and gradual. I was thinking of something like activating a sigil through an energy orgasm, but I feel my system can’t take it right now… feels like I need self care, and a lot of it, and listening to my body and its needs without any extraneous motivations. Boring maybe, but very much needed…

Maybe I could do something gentler, like visualizing a thousand gentle kisses all over my body to help me fall into the sweetest dreams… falling right through my inner temple, being gently touched by all the things there, enjoying the sensations, the scent of fresh herbs, the tip of a beautiful athame very gently gliding across my back, making my chakras glow… feels nice, maybe I can still come up with something lovely…

[TheMuslimWitch]

Yes amazing the Native art of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are one of a kind! I am soo happy that times have changed and Australia put them first. Although actions now cannot make up for all the hurt that was caused, the new plans such as free education and job opportunities are excellent! In addition, they incorporate Aboriginal culture, art and even bring local Aboriginal community members to my kids school so they understand their culture. As for Aussie men although they are easy going and yes great, personally not my type i am more into the dark olive skin and black hair types such as Middle Eastern men lol just saying they have good looking men there, but the personality of Aussie men i guess cannot be compared they are just so fun loving and free…

[Phoenix_Fire]

challenge entry 2
So progress being made on my definition of how i practice ecclectic witchcraft or want to going forward. I was looking for this one video tgat went through types of witches based on elements or it put tgem into each element. I thought since i love using elements in my practice that maybe tbat video would be a good place to revisit, but i couldn’t find the video to save my life and i looked. I remembered i had made notrs from tbe video but couldnt find them. I was spewing because the list i got from websites or videos felt incomplete and i couldnt remember the correspondanxes to elements. . .

BUT guess what!! I found tge notes, by chance and saw why id not found initially. I think when i was working on the elemental book i must of split the page ( as id seperated an a4 page into 4 to put each element amd type of magic or witch in each catagory. Even gad used highlighters to indicate elements. ) it was in 4 pieces with notes on same size pages behinf not one full a4 page, bit i found it. Im so excited. I also in the process found a painting did of the lunar cycles as we see it in australia. I think it was for a prebious challenge tgat did that one. I stuck that up on the mirroe above table where i work. N the map i started for my inner temple. It had 21 elements in it.
Fire
Water
Shadow
Metal
Sand
Nature (forest)
Healing
Spirit
Crystal
Portal
Electricity ( thunder and storm)
Balance ( with symbol of ying yang)
Chaos
Earth ( mountain/rock)
Air
Light ( solar?)
Energy
Ice
Dream
Time
Sound ( and music)

Shadow has symbol of moon and id associayed tgat to it at tge time id dobe the map, got list of elements from somewhere. ?? but id now with more knowdge and experience maybe put shadow as shadow work and as there is light listed it didnt say solar but i would now consider tgat to be solar energy or magic and add lunar energy and magic. But then cosmic or celestral could be another not so much maybe element but type of energy / magic could add.

Im going to look through the list i have on the notes i took from the video and reevaluate my practice and decide whar i want to include because yes im totally an ecvlectic witch hey. I dont think i could confine myself to one type of magic, and no judgement on anyone who does practice one type. We all have our own path to walk. I know new witches ofyen start as ecclectic until they find a path but i feel at least at this point of my life that there is so much i want to include in my path amd practice that doesnt fit into one catagory or another. I may not choose to do all types of magic but there is alot that appeals to me and that i want to include and looking back at ones id highlighted ay the time and those i hadnt i can see even since i did this list a year ago or so, ive changed some ideas of what sort of magic i want to include. At the time i hadnt included fae witch in the air element but its something i have been looking at recently. Id not included tech witch or dragonic witch from fire but again ones ive looked at resently or since that list was written, among others. And also in earth and water list there are ones i might considee or have considered since that hadnt at the time a year ago. And others that i might take off the list. But i think thats the cool thing is that our practice can change amd evolve over time and thats ok. We can hace a path thats similar or different to others and thats ok. We can be ourselves and express ourselves through our path and magic and thats ok too.
And looking up on yhe painting i did, it reminds me not only does everything move in cycles suchvas the moon or seasons or our life, but it also inspires me to give myself permission to make time for myself and my needs and to practice whatever form of magic, even just a sumple thing like drawing a protection rune on my arms with moisturing cream or spray a protection rune on my pillow with lavender pillow mist spray. Or maybe its divination about the week ahead so i can prepare for xhallenges ahead maybe its remembering to put my crystal jewerlly on before i leave tge house, maybe its in everyday stuff like using herbal correspondances in cleaning or body products or its candles for connecting to deuties before divination on how i can work wiyj them over tge coming month. Or simply wearing a shirt with colour corresponding to the day to draw on that energy. Sometimes life can get crazy and you dont get muvh if any time for yourself, but sometimes its the little things you do during these times that keep you connected to your practice and path and helps you keep goibg.

Im doing a fundraiser project at work for heartkids ( for children with congenital and other heart diseases) where im ( my character based on nickname at work) goes on adventures to different places and the kids suggested the zoo for my first adventure😁 which is cool because these adventures kinda give me permissiin and an excuse to take time out to get outdoors more where i always feel bad if not always woeking cause got so much to do and not enough time to do it in and so i work at home and on wat to and from work. But tge zoo was where i had wanted to connect to cernunnos wheni started my path but due to work and covid i hadnt ever made it there, plus not having a car, but now im about to head out to zoo as a part of a work project lol but who says i cant connect with cernunnos and the animals while im there.
I can do another adventure to beach where after each adventure i use photos taken on the adventure and a scrap book to create a storybook about the adventure to share with the kids. As i thought and planned the project i realised that these excursions out could be more tgan just about creating a story book of the adventure but also an oppotunity for me to connect to nature, animals and deities from my clan.
Kings park would be another great one, someone suggested Aqwa ro visit the mermaids😁 and in my head i can see the benifits or connections i can make along the way while doing something for a good cause which i can also share with the kids and create learning oppotunities for them about the world and communities around them.
I am big on making connections between things even including learning and combining things together. Which makes ecclectic witchcraft or magic so appealing to me. Ahh and i can smell the gingerbread hugs wax melts i put on in the wax warmer got in the kitchen. Lol its the little things that make me happy😁

[kimberly57]

CHALLENGE ENTRY

I just recently started participating in the challenges and I have to say, I absolutely love them. I’m fairly new and have been confused on many things along my path. I just recently learned (since joining Spells8) about eclectic witch. I was excited to learn this term because I knew i was on the correct path in life but i didn’t feel that I was fitting in to one particular group. Now I feel like I have a true direction.

[CelestiaMoon]

So I had a lovely TRE course today! I learned a somatic practice that allows me to physically release tension out of my body by triggering natural muscle tremors. The teacher was a familiar tantra coach, so she could bring that expertise to the classroom too.

She also made me realize that some of my feeling stuck and stagnant comes from repressed anger and rage. Having worked with these energies with the goddess Kali, silly me thought I had left it all behind, but that’s not really how it works. It’s cyclic. There are always new things that frustrate us, and if that’s not released, it stays with us. And it can block our capacity to feel pleasure, and other emotions we’d “rather” feel.

[MeganB]

I learned how to do something new this past week and I wanted to show everyone here! I’ve really been feeling like it’s time to branch out in my practice, and I’ve been getting more connected with different parts of my practice that I wasn’t connected to before. Anyway, it’s been a long journey on my road of burnout recovery, and reconnecting with everything is just another fork on that path.

So, I learned how to create sigils using the planetary grids. I don’t know how to fully explain it, and I will leave videos below to where I learned how to do this, but I wanted to show you how I did it and what my sigil looks like.

Now, because I’m using the grid of Venus, my sigil will most likely look like a straight line but that’s okay! I wanted to make a sigil to use with a face mask I plan on doing today. It’s pink and full of lovely smells that remind me of self love and self care. That’s why I chose the Venus grid!

So here’s my intention statement: My inner beauty shines through me with ease.

And here’s the process!

Removing the Vowels and Duplicate Letters

Turning Letters into Numbers

Then you take those letters and turn them into numbers like this.

So my letters of MYNRBTSHGW turn into numbers → 4 7 5 9 2 2 1 8 7 5

And then those go on the grid below starting from 4 and ending at 5.

And then here’s what it looks like without the grid.

---

So I’m gonna take this and probably make it more swirly rather than harsh edges, draw it on my face with my face mask, and then activate it by rubbing it in and then removing it when the mask is done!

And here’s where I learned it from. Her YouTube channel is called Ivy the Occultist!

→ What My Occult Planetary Magick Practice Looks Like 🔆 - YouTube

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

Love these. This is something that i discovered not too long again and have been building into my practice too because i am drawn the the planets and stars. I seem to be drawn to everything!

[CelestiaMoon]

Oh, that looks fascinating @MeganB, I’ve wanted to try it too, now I have a resource easily accessible thanks to you!

@MeganB

Anyway, it’s been a long journey on my road of burnout recovery, and reconnecting with everything is just another fork on that path.

You and me both, warm hugs to you! I’m starting my 4th year now. We’re walking the path of Saturn here

[Phoenix_Rose]

CHALLENGE ENTRY

I am an eclectic witch. Although my favourite area currently, and has been for a long time, is the tarot. I am really enjoying learning about oils, spells and energy work. I am learning so much here with this coven.

Growing up, I had exposure to different religions and philosophies, mainly Christianity, Taoism, and Buddhism. My mother read tarot, and worked with energy, and crystals. I have been to a few different psychics and pagan and Christian energy healers.

This has made me very open to pulling in from anywhere that which makes sense and helps me on my journey-as long as it is not harmful to myself or anyone else.

I have been told that the goal of life is to ‘know thyself’. I am reminded of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet “…This above all: to thine ownself be true, and it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.” I like that whole speech btw.

I have to say I have spent a crap ton of time getting to know myself. However, the more I learn the more I see it is not balanced and there is still more work to be done (always). Francesco’s post on shadow work.

Being an eclectic witch has helped me see these things more clearly as it allows me to pull in from many areas to further my understanding and strengthen my abilities. I recognize it is also a hinderance at times as I don’t give myself time to delve deep and really learn on one topic before moving to another.

I love using the tarot and oracle cards.

I enjoy my moments in nature and thank the unseen folk and Mother Nature.

I stand out in some storms to allow that energy to cleanse me, create a shift, or inspire me, etc

I carry stones with me at times to help with grounding and courage.

I use herbs and essential oils for shifting energy and cleansing. I have infused oils and created sigils and spells to cast on the oils while infusing them and using them.

When baking for my family I focus on love and nourishment, when I remember .

Being eclectic is awesome for me. My next focus is to be a lot more adept at all of them. However, I am going to begin at the beginning as I now know in some ways, I haven’t really started. A strong foundation is key. I recently watched a video of @MeganB ’s.. It will be hard for me to start with one thing but I think that is where I need to begin.

I doubt I will ever change from being eclectic, that is who I am by nature.

Thanks for this week’s challenge @Cosmic_Curiosity @Kasandra and @BryWisteria !!

[Garnet]

@Nixi NewDragon
I had thought to address what posts I could but after I was finished, I read them again and your post hit a familiar note for me.
All of our lives, we (men and women)are encouraged to do “better”, but at the same time, we’re told we can’t do better for one reason or another.

Let me start with the truth. You, my darling girl, are as lovely as that little dragon you’re holding in your picture.

As kids, we were given an ‘8 ball’. If you don’t know what that is. It’s a black toy ball, plastic, filled with fluid, and a (multi-sided die). You’d ask a simple, one-answer question and turn the ball over to read the answer that appeared at the bottom. The answers were yes, no, not now, etc.
WE are like those 8-balls. We don’t know or feel like we can do something but when shaken the answer turns up.
Miss Nixi, you are smarter than you’ve been allowed to think you are.
The Trick, my little New Dragon, is learning to spread your wings, and as your belief in yourself grows, so will your wings.

In the meantime, each and every one of us is here to encourage you. Do you know why? We were all borne with wings, we just didn’t know it.

One day, as you grow in knowledge and strength, you’ll spread those wings, and fly…
Be strong for and in yourself.
Be blessed, be safe, and know you be loved.
Garnet

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

Challenge entry 2

I am very much into art and craft. It is a means of me expressing myself. I thought about the different ways that i express myself in my magickal work in terms of what methods and practices I used. I decided to epxress this using my my art and craft work so am working on a scrapbook showing the different aspects of my magical practice.

This is very much a work in progress and does not show all that I use. When i considered it, i realised that I use many different aspects of magick and therefore could very much consider myself as eclectic:

Incorportating the Sabbats into my year
Using the power of the moon
Colour and candle.magic
Deity work and meditation

I also make use of
Astrology and the planets
Numbers
Essential oils and more recently, herbs and plants

Thats a lot! Is it because i am releatively new and still finding my way? Possibly. However, i do see the potential and suitablility of different aspects for different needs and it may just be that I will dabble in and out of the different areas of magick available to me.

Below I have added a video showing the progress of my electic scrapbook so far. As i said it is a work in progress and a project that I will continue to develop and grow.

scrapbook

Blessed be

Alan

[Phoenix_Rose]

Amazing journal!! You are talented!

[Ostara]

I love that @MeganB!

[Amethyst]

Weekly Witchy Challenge for Amethyst.

Everyone seems to have grown up Catholic here. I’m weird. I grew up Methodist. I was an acolyte. I would light the candles at the altar and help with the communion and the passing of the offerings plate. Well, until I turned sixteen and got too fussed to do it. Long story there. It wasn’t long after that that I started to wonder why isn’t there a Mother Goddess if there was a Father God.

But I still remember lighting the candles so I always say a prayer over my candles when I light them, only now it depends on the day and the color.

I’ve been trying to remember more of the services from my childhood to see how they’ve affected how I do things today but other than that, and opening and closing my circles with a prayer, I don’t remember much except for playing with Nathan Lilly with the matches. LOL!

The things we do as kids.

I also consider myself eclectic because I’ve taken bits and pieces of the books I’ve read and used them. A little bit here and a little bit there, but I can’t point at one part and say this is why I’m Eclectic, it blends too much if you know what I mean.

So that’s my entry. Hope it’s good!

[Phoenix_Rose]

So many great entries!

@Amethyst

The things we do as kids.

Yup! So glad I grew up without everyone having the ability to record every dumb thing I have ever done!

@MeganB I have book marked this post. I have started working with sigils and I like this grid concept and connecting it with different deities. I hope you enjoy your mask today, sounds heavenly.

@CelestiaMoon

silly me thought I had left it all behind, but that’s not really how it works. It’s cyclic. There are always new things that frustrate us, and if that’s not released, it stays with us. And it can block our capacity to feel pleasure, and other emotions we’d “rather” feel.

Great insight and a great reminder to regularly cleanse and release.

@kimberly57

but i didn’t feel that I was fitting in to one particular group. Now I feel like I have a true direction.

Yay! Learning we can be ourselves without fitting into a box and yet still be a part of a group is great.

@Phoenix_Fire

But i think thats the cool thing is that our practice can change amd evolve over time and thats ok.

Agreed!

@CelestiaMoon

I tried to make sense of how the universe works through quantum physics

I have dabbled a bit in quantum physics. One day I plant to look again at it a bit more. If I have a question on correspondences I will reach out to you. Sounds like you are a natural!!

@Medea beautifully said!

@heather75 amazing garden! Inspiring! I need to get a move on and grow some plants.

@Kasandra

Even though I no longer identify as Christian, I still try to follow some of Jesus’ teachings in my Craft,

Me too. I still believe in the teaching of Jesus. It’s funny to think I was a Sunday school teacher at one time

@catherine11

So many times as a Christian I would pray, but then the counsel seemed to be just wait for it. That doesn’t suit me at all, and no matter how many times I prayed for patience, it just would not come. With Wicca, it’s a marriage of the magical and the mundane, you can do a spell for x result, but you also have to take mundane actions to make it happen. It gives me something to do while waiting.

This reminds me of what my mom told me about prayer- she said the end of every prayer that most leave out is “and I will do my part”. With witchcraft we are able to do our part and conscious of the need to do our part. Which is empowering and awesome.

@Susurrus

My practice is a bit unconventional

Love unconventional! What an amazing journey of exploration and learning

@brandy20 what a beautiful journey! Maybe you will meet your grandmother again in an ancestral meditation

@Garnet love your educational posts!

@TheMuslimWitch beautiful entry . I am grateful that you are here.

@christina4

I scrubbed my body with coffee grounds. Rinsed them off and then I filled the bath using my sachet. I put lavender eucalyptus, patchouli in the sachet along with black obsidian, carnelian and amethyst.

Nice mixture of different elements. I was intrigued with the coffee grounds use so I did a bit of digging. I am going to have a coffee bath later today. Can those stones go in the water? I am always so nervous with stones and water.